SME employee perceptions about future work–life flexibility: findings from New Zealand
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Date
2025-06-17
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Taylor and Francis Group
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(c) The author/s
CC BY-NC-ND
CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Employees of New Zealand small and medium enterprises (SMEs) desire more work–life flexibility and are seeking change in the workplace. Applying institutional theory and the related concept of institutional work as our theoretical frame, we explored employee perceptions about working arrangements and found a substantial desire for change. Specifically, 71% of 619 employees surveyed wanted more work–life flexibility, with the research highlighting three constructs that contribute to employee perceptions about their work and nonwork interface: working pattern control, job flexibility, and a sense of being respected. The findings are significant and novel as they illustrate a renewed desire on the part of employees to change work arrangement practices in response to recent lived experiences. Given these demands for flexibility are now being driven from an employee rather than employer perspective, this could lead to the development of new normative expectations that would place pressure on SMEs to change work arrangements in response to employees’ active agency. In current high-employment environments, employee flexibility is likely to facilitate a recruitment and retention advantage, and each of the identified constructs will potentially play a fundamental major role in employee–employer relationships.
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Scott J, Macpherson W, Tootell B, Kobayashi K, Kelly S. (2025). SME employee perceptions about future work–life flexibility: findings from New Zealand. Labour & Industry. Online Preprint 17/06/2025.