When work enters the home: Antecedents of role boundary permeability behavior

Boundary permeability is the degree to which a person allows elements from one role domain such as work, to enter another role domain such as home. The more frequent the work-related elements enter the home domain, the more permeable the home role boundary. Research on antecedents of boundary permeability has largely focused on either individual characteristics or situational factors. This research builds on prior theoretical and empirical work, using a person-situation interactionist perspective, to better understand how three individual characteristics---home and work role identity salience and polychronicity---influence one's boundary permeability preference. Furthermore, this study examines how three situational factors---pressure for precedence from work and home domains and work task interdependence---impact the relationship between one's home boundary permeability preference and permeability behavior. Findings of a two-wave employee survey indicate that home role identity salience and polychronicity are indirectly related to home role boundary permeability behavior through permeability preference, and that the relationship between permeability preference and permeability behavior is attenuated by pressure from one's manager to prioritize work over home.