Chapter 5: Resolving The Paradox of Technological Innovation: The Role of Policy and Practice in Protecting Employee Well-Being

Technological innovation has dramatically reshaped the modern workplace. When, how, and where employees work is no longer a reliable certainty. Indeed, the use of mobile communications technologies (MCTs) has blurred the physical, temporal, and psychological boundaries between the work and nonwork domains for many employees. However, evidence regarding the impact of MCT use on employee and organizational outcomes is nebulous at best, with some studies linking MCT use to positive outcomes (e.g., work-life satisfaction, engagement) and other studies linking MCT use to less desirable outcomes (e.g., burnout, stress, distractions). Using data from our own research as well as the broader academic and practitioner literatures and popular press, in this chapter we address this discrepancy in the literature by (a) illustrating the specific contradictions—or paradoxes—associated with MCTs and their impact on both work outcomes and employee well-being; (b) describing how organizational norms, policies, and expectations regarding MCT use can contribute to those conflicting outcomes; and (c) discussing the implications for organizational as well as national policy and practice that can promote more consistently positive outcomes from using MCTs to manage work and life demands.