The Meaning Of Digital Balance And Employee Psychological Well-Being In The Era Of Work-Life Integration
(A Phenomenological Study Of Generation Z In Indonesian Startup Companies)
Keywords:
Digital Balance, Work-Life Integration, Psychological Well-Being (PWB), Generation Z, Indonesian Startups, Phenomenology
Abstract
This study aims to reconstruct the essential meaning of Digital Boundary Management (DBM) and analyze its association with Eudaimonic Psychological Well-being (PWB) among Generation Z employees in Indonesian startup companies. The paradigm shift from Work-Life Balance (WLB) to Work-Life Integration (WLI), mediated by digital connectivity, has blurred professional and personal boundaries, giving rise to the risk of technostress.1 Using a qualitative, interpretive phenomenological approach, this study involved in-depth interviews with Gen Z employees working in a flexible startup environment. Data analysis follows the Colaizzi Method to uncover subjective experiences and the essence of meaning.2 The findings suggest that Digital Balance for Gen Z is a negotiative experience characterized by tension between individual efforts to uphold Digital Autonomy and collective pressures triggered by the internalization of the value of Digital Gotong Royong.3 The success of DBM is not measured by time separation, but by the extent to which intensive integration (WLI) can be justified by Purpose in Life and Personal Growth (Ryff's PWB dimensions).4 This study provides theoretical contributions by integrating cultural factors into Digital Boundary Theory and suggesting managerial implications, such as structurally supported Right to Disconnect policies, to maintain PWB in an integration-dominated work environment.References
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Dumas, T. L., & Lefebvre, J. L. (2020). Technostress: The effects of digital communication on employee well-being. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35(1), 25-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09645-2
Kottke, J. L., & Sharafinski, C. E. (1988). Measuring perceived supervisory and organizational support. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 48(4), 1075-1079. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164488484011
Lee, S., & Lee, M. (2021). Digital boundary management and work-life integration: Exploring the experiences of remote workers. Journal of Business Research, 120, 296-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.014
Nuraeni, E., et al. (2025). The influence of price and promotion on consumer behavior. Kumpulan Orientasi Pasar Konsumen, 3(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.56457/kompartemen.v3i1.733
Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4(4), 99-104. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10772395
Salkind, N. J. (2010). Encyclopedia of research design (Vol. 1). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Slikkerveer, L. J. (2019). Gotong royong: An indigenous institution of communality and mutual assistance in Indonesia. In Integrated community-managed development: Strategizing indigenous knowledge and institutions for poverty reduction and sustainable community development in Indonesia (pp. 307-320). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Tarumingkeng, R. C. (2024). FENOMENOLOGI.
Dumas, T. L., & Lefebvre, J. L. (2020). Technostress: The effects of digital communication on employee well-being. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35(1), 25-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09645-2
Kottke, J. L., & Sharafinski, C. E. (1988). Measuring perceived supervisory and organizational support. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 48(4), 1075-1079. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164488484011
Lee, S., & Lee, M. (2021). Digital boundary management and work-life integration: Exploring the experiences of remote workers. Journal of Business Research, 120, 296-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.014
Nuraeni, E., et al. (2025). The influence of price and promotion on consumer behavior. Kumpulan Orientasi Pasar Konsumen, 3(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.56457/kompartemen.v3i1.733
Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4(4), 99-104. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10772395
Salkind, N. J. (2010). Encyclopedia of research design (Vol. 1). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Slikkerveer, L. J. (2019). Gotong royong: An indigenous institution of communality and mutual assistance in Indonesia. In Integrated community-managed development: Strategizing indigenous knowledge and institutions for poverty reduction and sustainable community development in Indonesia (pp. 307-320). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Tarumingkeng, R. C. (2024). FENOMENOLOGI.
Published
2025-10-07
How to Cite
Djuanda, A. (2025). The Meaning Of Digital Balance And Employee Psychological Well-Being In The Era Of Work-Life Integration. Kompartemen: Kumpulan Orientasi Pasar Konsumen, 3(2), 50-56. https://doi.org/10.56457/kompartemen.v3i2.843
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2025 Ade Djuanda
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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