Making hybrid-work work: task–environment fit, managerial trust and work–life balance in higher education
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose Remote and hybrid work have become enduring features of academic labour, yet evidence on their consequences for work–life balance (WLB) remains mixed. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study examines how remote arrangements, organisational support, professional isolation and boundary preferences intersect to shape academics' WLB. In total, 19 semi-structured interviews with UK-based academics were thematically analysed. Findings Three themes emerged. First, flexibility, productivity and work practices: teaching and collaboration were more effective in person, while writing, analysis and marking flourished at home; reclaimed commuting time and environmental control enhanced focus and well-being but risked “always-on” spillover. Second, organisational, managerial and technical support: trust-based, output-focused supervision, clear policies, useable information technology (IT) and appropriate estates enabled balance, whereas ambiguity, hot-desking and poor systems depleted resources. Third, WLB, boundaries and well-being: micro-boundaries and availability norms mitigated erosion, while isolation was unevenly experienced, particularly by newcomers. Originality/value The study reframes autonomy as a conditional resource, positions boundary outcomes as shaped by the interaction of preferences and organisational affordances, and advances task–environment fit as a practical design principle. Implications include codifying boundary norms, developing “trust-capable” managers and aligning estates and IT with academic work.
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7162018281