Frederik Hesse

Due to digitalization, the work-related use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has increased steadily in recent years. Working anywhere and anytime has never been easier. A growing body of research is examining the impact of this development on employees and companies - and arriving at inconclusive findings. Also, several relevant questions remain unanswered. Against this background, this dissertation examines ICT usage after regular working hours by executives in studies 1 and 2. Study 3 focuses on boundary control, a central resource in the new world of work. Study 1 shows that polychronic executives in formalized companies in particular benefit from work-related smartphone use after hours. They gain flexibility, which translates into increased work performance. Study 2 examines the impact of leaders ICT use on employee well-being. It is shown that after-hours ICT use by leaders increases collective emotional exhaustion due to the climate of universal availability. This relationship is attenuated when employees' collective boundary control is high. Study 3 shows that competence-enhancing HR systems and decentralization are central antecedents of collective boundary control. Collective boundary control is positively linked to organizational performance. Individual boundary control, in turn, has health-promoting effects for the individual employee. In particular, employees in companies with a high degree of organizational ICT use benefit from boundary control. Based on data from 24,233 employees from a total of 248 companies, the results underscore the significant role played by executives and HR management in the new world of work, not only in promoting performance but also health.