The merging of life spheres in the context of mediatized office work

The possibility to work independently from time and space constraints by using digital media can lead to the dissolution and rearrangement of the borders between private and professional spheres. In this context, a flexibilization of working times and working spaces can be observed. These phenomena can be perceived as either opportunity or challenge, depending on circumstances and on the individual in question. The paper presents types exposed by a cluster analysis which was conducted in the course of a survey. They indicate how the survey respondents handle and perceive the rearrangement of borders. They vary from the ever-mobile and flexible "media experts", who almost enjoy the merging of life spheres, to the "afflicted", who suffer from the dissolution of borders. The "sceptic" and the "optimists", however, are characterized by a rather strict bordering, yet with different attitudes towards the use of digital media.