Tech-Life Balance – Between Idea and Practice. Entrepreneurs on Technology and Well-Being

Abstract The socialization of technology brings various consequences for people, society, the economy, and the environment, introducing, on the one hand, the possibility of widespread use of information technology systems, improving the work efficiency and productivity of people employed in various economic sectors. On the other hand, it contributes to phenomena such as techno-overload , techno-invasion , and the blurring of boundaries between professional and private life, which necessitates a search for tech-life balance.The results of preliminary research with entrepreneurs will be presented, examining their approach to maintaining balance in a world saturated with technology, and the significant difference between the assumptions made in their strategic documents and the reality. The topics covered in the study included: 1. documents from the surveyed entities containing references to tech-life balance activities (type, key assumptions, substantive content), 2. respondents’ opinions on the main reasons for the successes and failures of the surveyed entities in maintaining a balanced approach to new technologies, 3. respondents’ opinions on the role of tech-life balance principles in shaping the image of the surveyed companies/entities, 4. areas of difference between the activities declared in the surveyed entities’ documents and the assessments expressed during interviews, 5. the most significant differences in the approach to tech-life balance by sector, resulting from the analyzed documents and respondents’ statements. The study was conducted from December 2024 to the end of May 2025. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 entrepreneurs. The selection criterion was their representation of a specific type of business sector from among the 21 categories in the Polish Classification of Activities (PKD).