Integration Preference as Moderators of the Relationship Between Work-Related ICT Use Outside Work Hours and Work- Family Enrichment Azimah Ahmad (a*) and Mohd Nazri Zakaria (a)
a)Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Malaysia
*azimahahmad24[at]gmail.com
* mnazri.z[at]umk.edu.my
Abstract
The demands of the modern workplace have the tendency of employees to engage in work, even without written contractual obligations in place. The advancement in digital technology encourages an ^always on^ culture, blurring the line between work and family life. The recent covid-19 pandemic has forced the use of mobile technology to perform work tasks among employees. Little is known about the impact of the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) outside work hours on work-family outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of work-related ICT use outside work hours (WRICT) and work-family enrichment (WFE) experienced by non-academics^ employees in Malaysia. Specifically, the moderating roles of integration preference were considered in investigating the relationship between work-related ICT use outside work hours on WFE. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and an online survey was used to collect data. The sample consisted of non-academics from a public university in Malaysia (n = 690). Two statistical programs were used for the data analysis: Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the research revealed a positive effect between work-related ICT use outside work hours on WFE. Furthermore, the results revealed that integration preference significantly moderated the relationship between WRICT and WFE. The study^s findings provide an insight into the work-related ICT use outside work hours and work-family outcomes as practiced by the non-academic employees of Malaysian Higher Education.
Keywords: work-related ICT use outside work hours, work-family enrichment, integration preference, non-academic
