Does the quality of information technology support affect work–life balance? A study of Australian physicians

Abstract

Healthcare is a sector where investments in information technology (IT) have been found to be associated with improvements in the quality of care, efficiency, and safety. Prior studies have not asked whether the quality of IT is also associated with improved work–life balance for employees. This study addresses that question using the Job Demands-Resources model and a longitudinal sample of 11,140 physicians in Australia. Controlling for a variety of factors that may also influence work–life balance, and using diverse specifications, the reported quality of IT services is positively associated with work–life balance. The measured effects of IT support are smaller than those for long and unpredictable work hours, but similar to those for many other job demands and resources, such as colleague support, complex patients, or part-time employment for women physicians. Implications for HR researchers and practitioners are discussed in conclusion.

Keywords:

• Australia
• IT systems
• job demands-resources
• work–life balance

Notes

1. The moderator analysis was replicated for the subsamples of women and men. No additional significant coefficients for men appeared, but two significant effects (p < .05) were found for women: IT support interacted with part-time employment (−.027) or with partner/spouse full-time (.020). Given the small size of those effects, they are not discussed further.