Technology Use and Work-Life Balance in European Workplaces : A Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Institutional Factors.

Sammanfattning

This study analyzes the connection between technology use, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), and perceived work-life imbalance in digitally intensive workplaces across Europe. Based on technostress theory, cognitive strain theory, and boundary theory, the study examines how digitally enabled work practices are related to fatigue, work-related strain, and challenges in maintaining boundaries between work and private life. Additionally, the study examines the extent to which these relationships differ across national and institutional contexts. The analysis was grounded in data from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2024, comprising about 36,000 respondents across 35 European countries. Composite measures assessing technology use, fatigue, work intensity, institutional support, and perceived work-life balance were derived from several survey indicators. The data were examined using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multilevel modeling techniques to account for the nested structure of individuals within countries. The results indicated that technology use and AI-mediated work practices were positively related to perceived work-life imbalance, although the effect sizes were relatively small. Fatigue appeared as the most significant predictor of work-life imbalance and notably decreased the relationship between technology use and work-life outcomes when incorporated into the models. Work intensity and workflow interruptions were also positively associated with work-related strain and challenges in maintaining boundaries between work and private life. Moreover, the multilevel analyses suggested that the relationship between technology use and perceived work-life imbalance varied moderately across European countries, indicating that institutional and organizational settings help shape experiences in highly digitalized work environments. Taken together, the results suggest that technology use individually does not adequately explain employee well-being in digitally mediated workplaces. Conversely, the results indicate that technology-related work environments are associated with broader psychosocial and organizational contexts defined by fatigue, cognitive strain, and elevated work demands. The study builds on recent research on technostress, digitalization, and AI-mediated work by incorporating individual- and country-level perspectives on employee well-being in modern European work life.