Purpose – The widespread adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) post pandemic has reshaped remote work, yet its implications for employee well-being and work outcomes remain inconclusive. This study proposes a research model to examine how IT consumerization influences employees’ flow, a state of control, enjoyment and focus on work. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model theory. This study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze survey from 476 full-time remote workers across various sectors in Mauritius, a developing economy where IT consumerization has surged to support remote connectivity. Findings – The results highlight IT consumerization as a “double-edged sword”, enhancing autonomy while simultaneously generating techno-pressure. However, autonomy buffers the negative effects of techno-pressure, ultimately improving flow. Techno-pressure, autonomy and work-life conflict serve as mediators, deepening the understanding of how IT consumerization impacts flow. Practical implications – Practical implications are suggested for organizations seeking to optimize remote work remote conditions. Strategies that balance autonomy and mitigate techno-pressure can improve employees’ flow in remote work environments. Originality/value – This research contributes to the telework literature by examining IT consumerization within remote work settings, particularly in a developing economy context. By highlighting its dual role as both a resource and a demand, the study enriches understanding of its impact on flow.

This study explores how women entrepreneurs in a resource-constrained setting adopt and experience personal technology for business purposes within the broader context of digital transformation. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and work–life border theory (WLBT), qualitative data were collected through 32 semi-structured interviews with women entrepreneurs operating micro and small enterprises in Mauritius. Findings reveal that perceived usefulness, ease of use, and institutional support drive the adoption of personal devices, enabling flexibility, cost savings, and improved responsiveness to clients. However, constant connectivity also blurs boundaries between work and family life, heightening stress, emotional fatigue, and security concerns, particularly in the absence of technical support. These dynamics unfold in gendered contexts shaped by cultural expectations and caregiving responsibilities, with technology simultaneously supporting business needs while intensifying work–life conflict. Building on these insights, this study proposes a conceptual model highlighting personal technology's dual impact on business performance and well-being, as well as the moderating and mitigating roles of gender norms, structural constraints, and support systems. The findings contribute to scholarship on gender and digital entrepreneurship, offering implications for gender-sensitive policies that promote equitable and supportive technology adoption in similar Global South (GS) contexts.

Purpose – This study explores how hybrid work is implemented and experienced in a Global South (GS) context, with a focus on Mauritius, a small island developing state (SIDS) where remote work was virtually non-existent before the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates how hybrid arrangements reshape job demands, resources and employee outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and a practice-oriented lens on Human Resource Management (HRM), the study examines hybrid work through two focus groups comprising professionals from 14 organisations across IT, finance, education and creative industries. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns in the data. Findings – Four interrelated themes emerged: technological enablers of performance, autonomy and flexibility, tensions in virtual collaboration and inequalities in hybrid work. The findings reveal how job resources such as autonomy, digital infrastructure and supportive leadership buffer demands such as technostress, role ambiguity and over-monitoring. Human resource (HR) professionals play a key role in mediating these dynamics through both formal and informal practices. Research limitations/implications – The study has limitations due to the focus on professionals in Mauritius, a SIDS, which limits the generalisability of its findings to other GS contexts with varying technological and cultural landscapes. The qualitative design, relying on a limited number of focus groups, further restricts the breadth and empirical generalisability of the insights. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported data, particularly from managerial-level participants, introduces a potential for social desirability bias. Finally, the exclusive theoretical grounding in the JD-R model may have inadvertently constrained the emergence of other relevant constructs beyond its framework. Practical implications – The study offers actionable insights for HR practitioners and organisational leaders designing hybrid work systems in digitally uneven environments. Emphasis is placed on the need to address equity in access, enhance virtual collaboration and support employee autonomy through tailored HRM practices. Social implications – The findings highlight that hybrid work exacerbates social inequalities and strains. HR must address the uneven distribution of job demands and resources across demographic lines. Older employees often struggle with digital tools, while younger staff face heightened monitoring and blurred work-life boundaries. The loss of informal connections and spontaneous interactions also risks social isolation and reduces organisational cohesion. Inclusive HRM practices are essential to mitigate these socio-technical divides and ensure sustainable transformation. Originality/value – This study extends the JD-R model to an under-researched GS setting and contributes to understanding how hybrid work evolves in contexts lacking a pre-existing culture of remote working, adding depth to theory and informing inclusive practice. A conceptual model is proposed to illustrate how hybrid work experiences are shaped by the interaction between structural enablers, job characteristics and HRM practices.

This study adopts a positive and contextually grounded representation of married women in Global South (GS) countries through the theory of gender and power (TGP) and Kabeer's empowerment framework, to examine factors driving financial independence (FI) and empowerment among women in Mauritius and Zimbabwe. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews with married women (28 in Mauritius and 27 in Zimbabwe), findings indicate that gendered power relations and institutional forces are pivotal in shaping empowerment for married women. Three interconnected themes emerged: “societal and institutional factors,” “context-embedded financial independence and autonomy,” and “women's relational empowerment.” Theoretically, we intersect Kabeer's empowerment framework with the TGP to illustrate how FI operates at the nexus of resources, agency, gendered power relations, and structural constraints, both aligning with and challenging universalized assumptions in gender, development, and empowerment research. Empirically, the paper advances scholarship by providing nuanced insights into empowerment processes within under-researched GS contexts.