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Blurring of Boundaries Between Work and Home: The Role of Developmental Relationships in the Future of Work

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HRD Perspectives on Developmental Relationships

Abstract

This chapter addresses the intersection of three concepts: the impact of digitalization on the future of work, the blurring of work-life boundaries, and the role of developmental relationships. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data science has transformed the way work is performed. The shifting conceptualization of work has inadvertently increased the speed of change that shapes the future of work through digital innovation. This shift will amplify the way we execute our work, the tools we use, the aesthetics of work, the issues associated with work, and the meaning of work. The lines between work and home have become fuzzier with the proliferation of remote working supported by technological enablement. The ability to balance work and family demands has therefore become a challenge for many people. Work and personal life have become intertwined to the extent that the blurring of work and family boundaries might lead to undesirable cognitive, emotional, and physiological effects. These undesirable effects might cause people to lose focus or motivation and hence experience difficulty in delivering the expected work outcomes. Developmental relationships will therefore play a critical role in mitigating these negative effects through formal and informal means by utilizing a variety of virtual platforms. This chapter addresses developmental relationships as mediating the psychological impact of remote working by promoting learning agility which leads to self-directed learning. We explore the role of developmental relationships in hel** people navigate through the blurring of work-life boundaries and offers implications for HRD research and practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    Roland K. Yeo

  2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Jessica Li

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  1. Roland K. Yeo
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Correspondence to Roland K. Yeo .

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  1. Drexel University, Media, PA, USA

    Rajashi Ghosh

  2. University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Holly M. Hutchins

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Yeo, R.K., Li, J. (2022). Blurring of Boundaries Between Work and Home: The Role of Developmental Relationships in the Future of Work. In: Ghosh, R., Hutchins, H.M. (eds) HRD Perspectives on Developmental Relationships. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85033-3_13

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