Supervisor off-work boundary infringements: Perspective-taking as a resource for after-hours intrusions

Constant connectivity is prevalent in modern workplaces, aided bysmartphones and email. Supervisors may further pressure theirsubordinates to remain connected to work through their after-hours communications. We develop the concept ofsupervisor off-work boundary infringements (SBI)or supervisor intrusions duringsubordinates’nonwork hours, which are becoming widespreaddue to expectations of immediate accessibility. Through theconservation of resources theory lens, we explore whether theseunnecessary intrusions by supervisors increase subordinate strainoutcomes (i.e. job tension and depressed mood at work). We alsoexamine the role of perspective-taking, a cognitive resourcedeployed as a coping strategy that allows individuals tounderstand the viewpoint of others, which in turn facilitateschanges in one’s attitudes and behaviours. Specifically, wepropose that employee perspective-taking can lessen the adverseeffects of SBI. Across a four-study constructive replication, wefindevidence that SBI positively relates to job tension and adepressed mood at work. Heightened levels of perspective-takingattenuated this relationship. Our study presents evidence thatindividuals who engage in perspective-taking can protectthemselves by buffering the adverse effects of SBI. Importantly,we advocate for corporate policies and laws that protect workersfrom SBI and encourage supervisors to cease such infringementson their employees.

Journal

Work & Stress