Balancing Flexibility and Digital Strain: How Job Satisfaction Connects Flexible Working Arrangements, Digital Fatigue, and Employee Engagement among Generation Z Employees

Authors

  • Persita Hadi Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta, Indonesia.
  • Kasmir Kasmir Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta, Indonesia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v7i4.7279

Keywords:

Flexible Working Arrangements, Digital Fatigue, Job Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, Generation Z

Abstract

This study examines the effects of Flexible Working Arrangements and Digital Fatigue on Employee Engagement, with Job Satisfaction as a mediating variable among Generation Z employees in a public financial institution. A quantitative approach was employed using data collected through questionnaires from 182 respondents selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that Flexible Working Arrangements positively affect Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction, whereas Digital Fatigue negatively affects both variables. Job Satisfaction positively affects Employee Engagement and partially mediates the effects of Flexible Working Arrangements and Digital Fatigue on Employee Engagement. These findings emphasize the importance of providing appropriate work flexibility while controlling digital demands to enhance employees’ satisfaction and engagement. The study also supports Social Exchange Theory by demonstrating that positive organizational practices encourage favorable employee responses, whereas excessive digital demands may weaken them.

References

Ahmad, R., Nawaz, M. R., Ishaq, M. I., Khan, M. M., & Ashraf, H. A. (2023). Social exchange theory: Systematic review and future directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1015921. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1015921

Ariyanto, E., Wijaya, M. H., & Sari, A. N. M. (2025). The effect of employee engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) on job satisfaction at PT Pelindo 1. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 8(2), 673–679. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V8-i2-11

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056

Bernburg, M., Tell, A., Groneberg, D. A., & Mache, S. (2024). Digital stressors and resources perceived by emergency physicians and associations with their digital stress perception, mental health, job satisfaction, and work engagement. BMC Emergency Medicine, 24, Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-024-00950-x

Carlson, D. S., Grzywacz, J. G., & Kacmar, K. M. (2010). The relationship of schedule flexibility and outcomes via the work-family interface. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 25(4), 330–355. https://doi.org/10.1108/0268394101103527

Chung, H., & Van der Lippe, T. (2020). Flexible working, work–life balance, and gender equality: Introduction. Social Indicators Research, 151(2), 365–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x

Dong, Y., Wang, M., Liu, E., & Xing, L. (2026). Causes of digital fatigue among hotel employees in the digital age: A configuration study based on fsQCA. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 38(2), 311–329. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-01-2025-0181

Edeh, F. O., Zayed, N. M., Faisal-E-Alam, M., Nitsenko, V., & Bazaluk, O. (2024). Flexible working arrangements on employee well-being concerning the mobile telecommunication industry. The TQM Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-11-2023-0390

Fleischer, J., & Wanckel, C. (2024). Job satisfaction and the digital transformation of the public sector: The mediating role of job autonomy. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 44(3), 431–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X221148403

Gallup. (2025). State of the global workplace: The voice of the world’s employees. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx

Gašić, D., & Berber, N. (2023). The mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between flexible work arrangements and turnover intentions among highly educated employees in the Republic of Serbia. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), Article 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020131

Ghonim, A., Awad, A., Shemais, M., Shma, T., & Aziz, A. (2025). Exploring the impact of flexible work arrangements on employee engagement in telecommunications: The case of Egypt. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 23(2), 198–207. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.23(2).2025.13

Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Jannata, A., & Perdhana, M. S. (2022). Analisis pengaruh work-life balance terhadap employee engagement dengan job satisfaction sebagai variabel intervening: Studi pada PT Barata Indonesia. Diponegoro Journal of Management, 11(3).

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287

Kim, E. J. (2026). The role of flexible work arrangement in adaptive career behavior and satisfaction: A multi-group analysis. Evidence-Based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 14(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-01-2025-0029

Lee, S. H., Chong, C. W., & Ojo, A. O. (2024). Influence of workplace flexibility on employee engagement among young generation. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), Article 2309705. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2309705

Onyekwelu, N. P., Monyei, E. F., & Muogbo, U. S. (2022). Flexible work arrangements and workplace productivity: Examining the nexus. International Journal of Financial, Accounting, and Management, 4(3), 303–314. https://doi.org/10.35912/ijfam.v4i3.1059

Pradipta, H. A., & Martdianty, F. (2023). Effect of flexible working arrangement on employee performance: Mediating role of work engagement and supervisor support in Indonesia digital startup. Jurnal Aplikasi Bisnis dan Manajemen, 9(2), 512–522. https://doi.org/10.17358/jabm.9.2.512

Shilpakar, N., Giri, B., & Pokhrel, S. K. (2024). Flexible working arrangements and employee turnover intention: Mediating role of employee engagement. SAIM Journal of Social Science and Technology, 1(1), 27–39. https://nepjol.info/index.php/sjsst/article/view/72514

Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Defining and measuring work engagement: Bringing clarity to the concept. In A. B. Bakker & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 10–24). Psychology Press.

Wang, B., Liu, Y., Qian, J., & Parker, S. K. (2021). Achieving effective remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic: A work design perspective. Applied Psychology, 70(1), 16–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12290

Zhang, X., & Deng, G. (2025). Protecting work engagement from digital fatigue: The contingent roles of leadership style and network ties. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1645057. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1645057

Published

2026-09-09

How to Cite

Hadi, P., & Kasmir, K. (2026). Balancing Flexibility and Digital Strain: How Job Satisfaction Connects Flexible Working Arrangements, Digital Fatigue, and Employee Engagement among Generation Z Employees. Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting, 7(4), 2648–2661. https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v7i4.7279

Similar Articles

<< < 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.