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This article presents information about the benefits of integrating research on the work-life relationship with that of organizational rhetoric and communication. Some researchers are finding that some communication concepts connect these two apparently dissimilar areas of communication. Three theoretical areas for connecting workplace and private-life frames of reference are examined: structuration, systems, and relational dialectics. Integrative directions are identified in each area for future research.

Dramatic demographic, technological, and social changes are reshaping how individuals experience family and work as we begin the 21st century. As the composition of the paid workforce continues to change, men and are rearranging what used to be a rigid distribution of wage, work, and family responsibilities in traditional families. Coupled with these changing demographics, technological innovations have changed the way work is accomplished. Computer technologies now enable new forms of virtual work, thus blurring the boundaries between workspaces and homespaces. Communication can serve as a catalyst for empowerment when workers take opportunities to act by asking for family leave, pressing for flexible work schedules, and questioning traditional stereotypes surrounding who performs wage work and family labor. Until recently, work and family received limited attention from communication researchers in relation to researchers situated in psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior.