Boundary congruence refers to the degree of alignment between the boundaries and needs of a person and their place of work. Their superiors or colleagues, as well as their company overall may be congruent with their own priorities and needs, which would provide congruence. More congruence makes it easier to develop a work schedule/ structure that works for everyone, and incongruence can bring the opposite.

Syracuse University

Boundary theory suggests that people experience relatively low boundaries between their work lives and lives outside of work. Their identities are dependent on their roles in both of these environments and each environment contributes to who they are as a person.


Boundary Theory

Peters, P., Jan Blomme, R. (2019). Forget about ‘the ideal worker’: A theoretical contribution to the debate on flexible workplace designs, work/life conflict, and opportunities for gender equality. Business Horizons.


Forget about ‘the ideal worker’: A theoretical contribution to the debate on flexible workplace designs, work/life conflict, and opportunities for gender equality. 

Boundary theory addresses the balancing of roles that people form with their at-work, and not-at-work selves. This theory focuses on the whole person and what systems work best for them when it comes to creating boundaries with their jobs. SDT looks only at the person at work, and looks at the motivations that people have to complete their work and where these motivations come from. The at-work person undoubtedly affects the person when they leave work, and motivation can come from places outside of work, which is why it is helpful to allow these theories to work together. 

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