Workplace flexibility has become a critical factor for both employees and employers, as it offers significant benefits related to work-life balance, job satisfaction, and organizational success. While the benefits of workplace flexibility, such as reduced stress and enhanced productivity, are well-documented, there is ongoing ambiguity in its conceptualization. Moreover, work flexibility is often used interchangeably with job autonomy without clear distinctions between the definitions of the two concepts. Although autonomy and flexibility may seem similar in everyday language, using the two concepts interchangeably seems to undermine the theoretical value in both of them as the two represent distinct constructs originating from independently developed streams of literature. We address these issues by conducting a systematic literature review on the topic. We review 326 papers published in top-tier management and psychology journals as well as specialist journals to clarify the concept of work flexibility by making comparison with job autonomy, a key job resource, and exploring their unique characteristics and overlaps. The study also suggests directions for future research, aiming to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms that drive effective work flexibility strategies.
