INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS’ PERCEPTIONS OF HIGH INVOLVEMENT WORK PRACTICES AND THEIR WORK ENGAGEMENT - An investigation of the roles of work-life balance and psychological job demands

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between Information and Communication Technology professionals’ perceptions of high-involvement work practices, their work engagement, work-life balance, and psychological job demands. It is tested whether the focal relationship exists similarly among European countries. Theory This study applies social exchange theory and job demands- resources model as the theoretical framework of the hypotheses. Method The data set of the sixth European Working Conditions Survey from 2015 was used. The study sample included 721 ICT professionals and technicians from 26 European countries. The hypotheses were tested using multilevel mixed model analysis. Results The results revealed that high-involvement work practices are significant positively associated with engagement. No variation between countries in the coefficients of reward and opportunities for advancement was found, implying that these dimensions influence engagement similarly across Europe. This could not be supported for the decision latitude and information dimensions. Work-life balance and psychological job demands did not interact with the focal relationship.