On the downside of mobile communication: An experimental study about the influence of setting-inconsistent pressure on employees' emotional well-being.

In times of permanent connectedness via mobile devices, availability demands often occur even across the boundaries between work and private life. Based on work–family border theory, this study examined how so-called setting-inconsistent pressure to be available influences employees' emotional well-being. For this purpose, an experimental 2 × 2 between-subjects design (N = 337) was conducted by manipulating setting-inconsistent pressure to be available (low vs. high) and type of setting-inconsistency (receiving a message from a colleague at home vs. receiving a message from a friend at work). Results indicated that pressure to be available beyond work–home boundaries significantly increased negative affect but had no influence on positive affect. Contrary to expectations, employees’ stress resilience did not moderate this effect. Furthermore, it made no difference whether boundaries were violated through private messages in the work domain or work-related messages in the private domain.