Role of crafting behaviors in work-life balance: development of a theoretical framework in the context of working from home

Purpose Past research on work from home (WFH) suggests contradictory outcomes of WFH in both the work and personal life domains. While a number of researchers have indicated that WFH can undermine work-life balance, others have suggested that work-life balance can be enhanced as a result of WFH. In this article, we aim to provide a theoretical framework to understand the role of different crafting activities at work and home in balancing work and life roles. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the resource-based approach of job crafting theory, this article develops a theoretical model exploring the potential roles of job crafting and home crafting in enhancing balance between work and life domains. Findings The proposed theoretical model explains the mediating role of person-job fit and person-home fit in explaining the relationship between job crafting, home crafting, and work-life balance for employees' WFH. We theorize an indirect relationship between various crafting activities and work-life balance through person-job fit and person-home fit. In addition, we propose home characteristics as boundary conditions for successful home crafting. Originality/value Drawing on various crafting behaviors, this article presents a novel framework that explains how work-life balance can be maintained in the context of working from home. In doing so, we also advance nonwork crafting research and build connections between research on job crafting and nonwork crafting, such as home crafting.