(JUMPER)
Vol. 3 No. 7 (2026): January

Negotiating Work-Life Balance in the Digital Age: A Phenomenological Study of Remote and Hybrid Workers in Indonesia

Burhanuddin (Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 May 2026

Abstract

The rapid expansion of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) has transformed work-life balance (WLB) dynamics in Indonesia’s digital economy. Although previous studies have primarily emphasized quantitative outcomes, limited research has explored the lived experiences of remote and hybrid workers. This study aims to examine how Indonesian workers negotiate professional and personal boundaries within digitally mediated work environments. Using an existential-hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 workers from the education, technology, and creative sectors and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis. The findings identified five major themes: blurred work-life boundaries, digital fatigue, flexible productivity, family interference, and coping strategies. The study reveals that WLB is a dynamic process shaped by hyper-connectivity, socio-cultural expectations, gender roles, and sandwich-generation pressures. The findings contribute to Boundary Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory by contextualizing WLB within Indonesia’s collectivist culture and highlighting the importance of organizational support, including healthier digital boundaries and employee well-being policies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JUMPER

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

Journal Management & Economics Review : JUMPER is a journal for publishing research results on business decisions, processes and activities in actual business settings. Theoretical and empirical advances in buyer behavior, finance, organizational theory and behavior, marketing, risk and insurance ...