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Articles

Stretching the borders: how international business travel affects the work–family balance

Pages 1-16 | Received 09 Sep 2015, Accepted 09 Mar 2016, Published online: 28 Apr 2016
 

ABSTRACT

This study examined the consequences of international business travel for the balance between work–family domains by exploring how international business travellers and travellers’ partners manage the boundaries between work and family in order to maintain the balance. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used in analysing the semi-structured interviews of 10 male travellers and 10 partners. Because of its irregular nature, international business travel affects the personal life and the family of business travellers. Work-related travel also has an impact on how travellers and their partners construct, manage and negotiate borders between work and family in order to avoid an imbalance between these domains. Integration of work and family is usually inevitable in international business traveler families. Integration may lead to role blurring and thus lead to imbalance.

RÉSUMÉ

Cette étude examine les conséquences de voyages d’affaires internationaux sur l’équilibre entre les sphères professionnelles et familiales en étudiant comment les voyageurs d’affaires et leurs conjoints gèrent les frontières entre travail et famille afin de maintenir un équilibre. Une analyse interprétative phénoménologique a été utilisée pour analyser des entretiens semi-directifs de dix voyageurs masculins et de dix conjoints. En raison de leur nature irrégulière, les voyages d’affaires internationaux affectent la vie personnelle et la famille des voyageurs d’affaires. Les voyages liés au travail ont aussi un impact sur la façon dont les voyageurs et leurs conjoints bâtissent, gèrent et négocient les frontières entre travail et famille afin d’éviter un déséquilibre entre ces sphères. L’intégration entre travail et famille est en général inévitable pour les familles de voyageurs d’affaires. L’intégration peut mener à un brouillement des rôles et ainsi à du déséquilibre.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Kati Saarenpää is a doctoral student in Management and Organizations at the University of Vaasa, Finland. Her research interests include work and family relationships, and gender role issues.

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