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  • January–February 2021
  • Article
  • Organization Science

Between Home and Work: Commuting as an Opportunity for Role Transitions

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Julia Lee Cunningham, Bradley Staats, Francesca Gino and Jochen I. Menges
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Abstract

Across the globe, every workday people commute an average of 38 minutes each way, yet surprisingly little research has examined the implications of this daily routine for work-related outcomes. Integrating theories of boundary work, self-control, and work-family conflict, we propose that the commute to work serves as a liminal role transition between home and work roles, prompting employees to engage in boundary management strategies. Across three field studies (n = 1,736), including a four-week-long intervention study, we find that lengthy morning commutes are more aversive for employees with lower trait self-control and greater work-family conflict, leading to decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover. In addition, we find that employees who engage in a specific boundary management strategy we term role-clarifying prospection (i.e., thinking about the upcoming work role) are less likely to be negatively affected by lengthy commutes to work. Results further show that employees with higher levels of trait self-control are more likely to engage in role-clarifying prospection, and employees who experience higher levels of work-family conflict are more likely to benefit from role-clarifying prospection. Although the commute to work is typically seen as an undesirable part of the workday, our theory and results point to the benefits of using it as an opportunity to transition into one’s work role.

Keywords

Commuting; Boundary Work; Self-control; Work-family Conflict; Prospection; Transition

Citation

Jachimowicz, Jon M., Julia Lee Cunningham, Bradley Staats, Francesca Gino, and Jochen I. Menges. "Between Home and Work: Commuting as an Opportunity for Role Transitions." Organization Science 32, no. 1 (January–February 2021): 64–85.
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About The Authors

Jon M. Jachimowicz

Organizational Behavior
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Francesca Gino

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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More from the Authors

    • April 27, 2022
    • Journal of Economic Surveys

    Inequality in Researchers' Minds: Four Guiding Questions for Studying Subjective Perceptions of Economic Inequality

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    • Nature Reviews Psychology

    Embracing Field Studies as a Tool for Learning

    By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
    • March 30, 2022
    • Harvard Business Review (website)

    To Retain Employees, Support Their Passions Outside Work

    By: Lauren C Howe, Jon M. Jachimowicz and Jochen I. Menges
More from the Authors
  • Inequality in Researchers' Minds: Four Guiding Questions for Studying Subjective Perceptions of Economic Inequality By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Shai Davidai, Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, Barnabas Szaszi, Martin Day, Stephanie Tepper, L. Taylor Phillips, M. Usman Mirza, Nailya Ordabayeva and Oliver P. Hauser
  • Embracing Field Studies as a Tool for Learning By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • To Retain Employees, Support Their Passions Outside Work By: Lauren C Howe, Jon M. Jachimowicz and Jochen I. Menges
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