Ines Spieler Wins WGAB Dissertation Prize › view all

BIGSSS alumna Ines Spieler wins the dissertation prize by the German Academic Society for Work and Industrial Organization - Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Arbeits- und Betriebsorganisation (WGAB) for her dissertation on "Workplace Flexibility and the Aging Workforce: How Two Contemporary Workplace Trends Shape the Work/Nonwork Interface".

The WGAB dissertation prize was introduced in 2016 to honor research projects in the field of future-oriented work and business organisation with inputs for further research and practical implementation.

Congratulations, Ines!

Dissertation Abstract

The working world is characterized by technological developments that allow employees to work anywhere and at any time - and also allow an increasingly older workforce. How do these trends affect the interface between employees’ working and private lives?

The dissertation shows that moderate use of flexibility with regards to starting, ending and break times assists employees in maintaining strong boundaries between the different areas of life. Such strong boundaries are, in turn, associated with improved well-being and greater work-life balance.

In addition, compared to younger employees, older workers seem to be more successful in scheduling the competing demands of their working and private lives. A reason for this seems to be active boundary management. Finally, the dissertation highlights the dynamic nature of the interface of the working and private life: whilst occasional use of flexibility has a positive correlation with attaining private goals and boundary strength, its continuous use represents a debilitating load that undermines the attainment of work objectives.

Find out more about Ines Spieler's research project through LSE Business Review.