IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems presents the latest publication by Prof.(FH) Dr. Mattia Rainoldi in collaboration with Prof. Adele Ladkin and Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis. The study “Digital Nomads’ Work-Leisure Management Practices” was published in the renowned journal Annals of Tourism Research and examines how digital nomads balance work and leisure in an increasingly connected world. Mattia Rainoldi was awarded the PhD Thesis Excellence Award by the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) for his outstanding research in this field.
Press
New study sheds light on the work-leisure management of digital nomads
International award for innovative research
At the renowned ENTER25 eTourism Conference in Poland, Mattia Rainoldi received the PhD Thesis Excellence Award for his outstanding dissertation “Managing Work and Leisure in the Digital Age: A Practice Exploration of Digital Nomadism”. The thesis is dedicated to the challenges and strategies of digital nomads in work-leisure management and shows innovative solutions for a growing target group in the modern working world.
Digital nomads: a growing target group in a changing world of work
Digitalisation and rapid developments – especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic – have transformed remote work into the norm for many professions and catapulted digital nomadism from a niche into the mainstream in recent years. Digital nomads have the freedom to work independently of a fixed office location, but this flexibility also entails challenges: how do they separate their professional and private time? What strategies do they use to achieve a healthy balance between work and leisure?
While digital nomads are often seen as pioneers of a new work culture, scientific research on their work-life management practices has been limited. This new study fills this gap by examining the specific practices digital nomads use to manage the boundaries between work and leisure, and the role that technology plays in this.
Scientific analysis: 224 diary entries and 32 in-depth interviews
The research team relied on a combination of sociomaterial theory, practice theory and border theory to gain deep insight into the work and leisure practices of digital nomads. The study is based on an extensive collection of data:
- 224 digital diary entries, which provide immediate insights into the everyday lives of digital nomads
- 32 semi-structured, in-depth online interviews to capture the personal experiences and strategies of these flexible workers
This qualitative analysis identified a total of 25 specific practices that digital nomads use to meet the challenges of mixing work and leisure.
Findings and relevance for business and tourism
The results of the study provide valuable insights for companies, destinations and political decision-makers dealing with the growing target group of digital nomads and offer important insights, particularly for the tourism sector, which is increasingly relying on remote workers as guests and customers.
The research reveals the digital and physical environments digital nomads prefer, how they adjust their working hours, and which technologies help them maintain a healthy work-life balance.
With this study, IMC Krems is providing an important contribution to our understanding of a changing labour market and the impact of digital technologies on professional life.
The complete article is available open access at: