Managing WLB in the construction industry: a boundary theory approach

Purpose There is international consensus that poor work–life balance (WLB) represents a significant health risk to many people who work in the construction industry. This study addresses the under-theorisation, methodological limitations, and lack of large-scale empirical research in this emerging field. The research aims to deepen understanding of WLB challenges faced by construction industry workers, with a focus on how they manage the boundaries between work and non-work domains. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on Boundary Theory as a conceptual framework and employs a mixed-methods design. It combines quantitative data from a large-scale survey (N = 1,475) and qualitative data from interviews (N = 64) with professionals and tradespeople across the Australian construction industry. Findings The findings reveal that workers in the construction industry face substantial challenges in managing the temporal, physical, and psychological boundaries between their work and non-work domains to achieve a healthy WLB and that there is a considerable degree of inequity in the resources available to enable them to do so. Young people working in junior on-site supervisory roles (especially on large commercial and infrastructure projects) appear to suffer the greatest boundary management challenges. It is also found that the very strong, impermeable and inflexible boundaries between work and non-work domains are nurtured and maintained by institutionalized workplace norms, practices and cultures which undermine the intent of formal initiatives to help people manage their temporal, physical and psychological boundaries to achieve a healthy WLB. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited empirical literature on work-life balance in the construction industry by applying Boundary Theory to a large and diverse sample. It contributes new insights into the institutional barriers to effective boundary management for workers across the construction industry and provides practical recommendations to help them manage the temporal, physical and psychological boundaries between their work and non-work domains more effectively to achieve a healthy and sustainable WLB.