Work/Family Border Theory: A New Theory of Work/Family Balance
Abstract
This article introduces work/family border theory - a new theory about work/family balance. According to the theory, people are daily border-crossers between the domains of work and family. The theory addresses how domain integration and segmentation, border creation and management, border-crosser participation, and relationships between border-crossers and others at work and home influence work/family balance. Propositions are given to guide future research.
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Leaders in the study believe their employees prefer a flexible work arrangement that provides a strong boundary between work and home.
“the leaders participating in our study believe their employees prefer a form of flexible work arrangement that provides a strong boundary between work and home (Clark, 2000).”
From The four-day workweek in Australia: insights from early adopters of the 100:80:100 model (2026) · cites this paper as Clark, 2000
People tend to develop strategies to protect the domain that is most relevant to them.
“People tend to develop strategies to protect the domain that is most relevant to them [13], thus men try to prevent the family from interfering and damaging their work role.”
From Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences (2024) · cites this paper as [13]
Boundary violations impair recovery among university teachers who telecommuted during mandatory COVID-19 confinement.
“Based on the boundary theory [12, 13], it was observed, as expected, that boundary violations impair recovery, and that recovery mediates the relationship between violations and flourishing.”
From Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences (2024) · cites this paper as [13]
Men try to prevent the family from interfering and damaging their work role.
“People tend to develop strategies to protect the domain that is most relevant to them [13], thus men try to prevent the family from interfering and damaging their work role.”
From Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences (2024) · cites this paper as [13]
Recovery mediates the relationship between boundary violations and flourishing.
“Based on the boundary theory [12, 13], it was observed, as expected, that boundary violations impair recovery, and that recovery mediates the relationship between violations and flourishing.”
From Boundary violations and university teachers' well-being during mandatory telework: Recovery's role and gender differences (2024) · cites this paper as [13]
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“Clark (2000) sees home and work as social systems occupying speci fi c places and times, involving particular people, and having a set of “ rules, thought patterns, and behaviour ” (p. 753).”
- Authors
- Clark, S. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Idaho (US)
- Corresponding author
- Clark, Sue Campbell
- Venue
- Human Relations
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2000-06
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 747-770
- ISSN
- 0018-7267 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-282X
- OpenAlex
- W2132062004
- Semantic Scholar
- d77e56aaf46c28c108d672095b0a39fbd5eb6909
- Cited by
- 3,203
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 226 · 2025: 274 · 2024: 267 · 2023: 293 · 2022: 278 · 2021: 260 · 2020: 215 · 2019: 159 · 2018: 142 · 2017: 147 · 2016: 146 · 2015: 135 · 2014: 119 · 2013: 105 · 2012: 81
- FWCI
- 41.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Human Relations (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Work-Family Balance Challenges
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Employment, Labor, and Gender Studies
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Employee Performance and Management
- Keywords
- work-family balance, work-family border theory, border crossing, work-family integration, border management, domain integration, work-family interface
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