This study provides an in-depth analysis of the organisation and articulation of managers? activities from within the theoretical perspective of the activity system. It identifies and discusses the theoretical knowledge and methodological approaches to managers? work, together with the relations which exist between the different areas of life. Our study is dependent on the triangulation of three methods to encompass managers? activities in their entirety. Self-observation allows us to access real-life managers? activities. Interviews guided by these self-observations highlight the significance that managers attach to their work. Finally, the ASI protocol gives us a better understanding of the data gathered by highlighting the relations that managers establish between the different areas of their life.
Results show that during a manager?s day, most time is spent working. Professional activities are denser, more varied, fragmented and relational than their familial, personal and social activities. They use communication and information technologies during a third of their working time in order to carry out a third of their activities. For all managers, incursions into different areas of life occur in both directions, proving that permeability does exist between these areas. In comparison with work incursions made into a manager?s private life, private incursions during work time occur more frequently, but are shorter and significantly rely more on information technologies as a vector (nomadism). Finally, all managers have an activity system which is multi-centered on family, work, and personal and social domains. Although their personal and social aspirations appear most important, it is the professional sphere that is valorised by the great majority of managers.
This study underlines the value of a global systemic approach and the active role that managers play in protecting the work/life balance.