DIGITAL AND CULTURAL BOUNDARY INTEGRATION: PATHWAYS TO NURSES' LIFE SATISFACTION IN INDIA

ABSTRACT The present study investigates the life satisfaction of nurses as they integrate digital and cultural boundaries in India, with family-to-work enrichment and job satisfaction portrayed as mediatory mechanisms. The study extends boundary theory by placing boundary management within the socio-cultural framework and ICT-intensive health care context. Utilizing a quantitative survey-based methodology, 200 valid responses were obtained from nurses located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The direct and indirect relationships were tested in JASP amongst boundary integration, family-to-work enrichment, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. The results showed that boundary integration positively influenced family-to-work enrichment and job satisfaction, which, in turn, positively influenced life satisfaction. The mediation analyses further confirmed that family-to-work enrichment and job satisfaction serve as key mediators between boundary integration and life satisfaction. Therefore, the results suggest that boundary management between work and family is not just purely a psychological mechanism on the individual level, but a process conditioned by cultural caregiving responsibilities. Theory contribution included reframing boundary theory as culturally mediated and digitally mediated, while practical implications included implications for hospital administrators and policy makers to consider when designing workplace practices that support employees.