Work-life balance orientations among digitally connected leaders in health and social care: a qualitative study

Purpose This study aims to examine how health and social care executives in England and Wales construct and manage work–life boundaries in digitally connected leadership roles and how boundary practices shape the enactment of transformational leadership across public and private contexts. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews (n = 19) with health and social care executives, analysed through Braun and Clarke's (2022) six-step thematic analysis procedure using NVivo 12. Findings Executives enacted work–life balance (WLB) through three inductively derived interpretive frames, termed here “WLB orientations”: balance achievers, balance sceptics and dynamic regulators. These orientations are distinct from existing boundary management typologies in that they capture how executives construct the meaning and achievability of balance rather than their preferences for boundary integration or segmentation. Transformational leadership functioned as boundary work but differed by sector; public sector leaders relied on relational care under constraint, while private sector leaders embedded empowerment and well-being practices supported by more integrated digital infrastructure. Practical implications The study highlights the need for organisations to formalise digital communication norms, develop executive boundary competence as a measurable leadership capability and treat technology investment as a well-being intervention, particularly in NHS and publicly funded care settings. Originality/value This study contributes a WLB orientation typology by proposing three distinct interpretive frames (balance achievers, balance sceptics and dynamic regulators) and shows how transformational leadership sustainability depends on sectoral conditions and digital infrastructures.