Intrinsic Needs and Job Performance in Digital Work: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance

• Published in: IEEE transactions on engineering management Vol. 71; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Duan, Sophia Xiaoxia, Deng, Hepu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 2024; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Australia; Behavioral sciences; Boundary theory; Data models; Digital technology; digital work; Ethics; intrinsic needs; Job performance; Mathematical models; need theory; Organizations; Social networking (online); Structural equation modeling; Technology adoption; Work life balance; Australia
• ISSN: 0018-9391; 1558-0040
• DOI: 10.1109/TEM.2022.3218925

The adoption of digital technologies is transforming traditional working practices so that understanding the interplay between individuals, work-life balance, and digital technology use is becoming important for job performance. This research explores how work-life balance mediates the association between intrinsic needs of individuals and job performance in digitalized working settings. A conceptual framework is proposed from reviewing the related literature based on the need theory and the boundary theory. Such a framework is tested through structural equation modeling of the survey data in Australia. The research finds that need for achievement and work-life balance significantly influence job performance in a direct manner. It reveals that need for autonomy indirectly influences job performance through the full mediation of work-life balance. This research is the first attempt to investigate the interplay between intrinsic needs, work-life balance, and job performance, therefore extending the understanding of the relationship between these variables in digital work.