Shifting approaches to blurred work-nonwork boundaries in consulting careers

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21284994
AutoresJūratė Čingienė (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University), Elena Doldor (0000-0002-3547-3129, Queen Mary University of London, autor correspondente), Rob Briner (Queen Mary University of London)
Ano2026
Volume168
Páginas104249
Data de publicação2026-08-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Vocational Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0001-8791 • E-ISSN: 1095-9084
EditoraElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.jvb.2026.104249
OpenAlexW7160865864
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas65

This paper advances the understanding of work–nonwork boundaries as a dynamic process shaped by evolving career demands, within the high-intensity context of professional service firms. While much of the mainstream work-nonwork literature conceptualises boundaries as stable preferences, recent work-life research and COVID-19 studies highlight that individuals' approaches to boundary management can shift in response to changing work, life, and health circumstances. This study explores how consulting professionals experience and (re)establish boundaries between work and nonwork throughout their careers. Employing an inductive qualitative approach, we gathered diary and interview data with thirty consultants from UK-based global firms. Findings reveal evolving boundary management modalities: idealising blurred boundaries, disillusionment, and pursuing more sustainable boundary strategies. Our insights extend boundary scholarship by illustrating the long-term dynamic negotiation of work–nonwork boundaries within the norms of professional service firms, underscoring the importance of context in shaping boundary evolution over time

Career Counseling · Career development · Higher education · Identification (biology) · Emotional Labor in Professions · Higher Education and Employability · Work-Family Balance Challenges