The Meaning of Work in the Hybrid Era through a Phenomenological Inquiry into the Existential Experiences of Gen Z Employees
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61230/luxury.v4i2.158Keywords:
Hybrid Working, Meaning of Work, Generation Z, Phenomenology, Existential ExperienceAbstract
Hybrid working has changed the way employees experience and understand work, particularly among Generation Z employees who are highly familiar with digital technology. This study aims to explore the meaning of work and the existential experiences of Gen Z employees in the hybrid era. A qualitative research approach with a phenomenological design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with Gen Z employees who have experience working in hybrid environments and were selected using purposive sampling. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis, supported by NVivo or ATLAS.ti. The findings reveal four main themes: flexibility and freedom, work-life boundaries, technology and work experience, and meaning and identity. Hybrid working provides greater flexibility, autonomy, and control over work, but continuous digital connectivity can create difficulties in separating work from personal life. The findings also reveal a central paradox between freedom and attachment, where employees experience greater independence while remaining connected to work beyond conventional working hours. The study concludes that work for Gen Z is not merely a source of income but is also connected to identity, relationships, independence, purpose, and personal meaning. This study contributes a human-centered perspective to understanding hybrid working by emphasizing the lived and existential experiences of employees.
References
Alhazmi, A. A., & Kaufmann, A. (2022). Phenomenological Qualitative Methods Applied to the Analysis of Cross-Cultural Experience in Novel Educational Social Contexts. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 785134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.785134
Benítez-Márquez, M. D., Sánchez-Teba, E. M., Bermúdez-González, G., & Núñez-Rydman, E. S. (2021). Generation Z Within the Workforce and in the Workplace: A Bibliometric Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 736820. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.736820
Delyana Rahmawany Pulungan, Susantriana Dewi, Niken Widyastuti, Muthmainnah, & Nicholas Renaldo. (2025). Implementasi Work-Life Balance dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Karyawan Milenial. El-Mal: Jurnal Kajian Ekonomi & Bisnis Islam, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.47467/elmal.v6i4.7621
Huwaida, L. A., Yusuf, A., Satria, A. N., Darmawan, M. A., Ammar, M. F., Yanuar, M. W., Hidayanto, A. N., & Yaiprasert, C. (2024). Generation Z and Indonesian Social Commerce: Unraveling key drivers of their shopping decisions. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(2), 100256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100256
Kraus, S., Ferraris, A., & Bertello, A. (2023). The future of work: How innovation and digitalization re-shape the workplace. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(4), 100438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100438
Lauring, J., & Jonasson, C. (2024). What is hybrid work? Towards greater conceptual clarity of a common term and understanding its consequences. Human Resource Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2024.101044
Lauring, J., & Jonasson, C. (2025). What is hybrid work? Towards greater conceptual clarity of a common term and understanding its consequences. Human Resource Management Review, 35(1), 101044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2024.101044
Lițan, D.-E. (2025). Psychological “effects” of digital technology: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1560516. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1560516
Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C. T., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on Medical Education, 8(2), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2
Nyoto, Sudarno, Sriadmitum, I., Renaldo, N., & Hutahuruk, M. B. (2023). Conceptual Model of Leadership Style, Work Environment and Compensation on Job Satisfaction and Teacher Performance. Interconnection: An Economic Perspective Horizon, 1(1), 1–10. https://firstcierapublisher.com/index.php/interconnection/article/view/3
Pignault, A., & Houssemand, C. (2021). What factors contribute to the meaning of work? A validation of Morin’s Meaning of Work Questionnaire. Psicologia, Reflexao e Critica : Revista Semestral Do Departamento de Psicologia Da UFRGS, 34(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-020-00167-4
Rafa’i, A., Junaedi, A. T., Nyoto, Renaldo, N., & Sultan, F. M. M. (2023). The Effect of Organizational Commitment and Competence on Work Motivation and Work Performance at SMA Negeri Tapung District. Nexus Synergy: A Business Perspective, 1(1), 1–13. https://firstcierapublisher.com/index.php/nexus/article/view/1
Sakdiyakorn, M., Golubovskaya, M., & Solnet, D. (2026). Meaning of work: Gen Z’s perspective. Journal of Youth Studies, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2026.2633153
Shaleha, R. R. A., & Roque, N. (2024). Cognitive Performance in the Digital Era. International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning, 14(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJCBPL.341788
Steelwater, E. (2012). Humanism. In Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (pp. 674–682). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-373932-2.00208-8
Suhardjo, S., Renaldo, N., Sevendy, T., Yladbla, D., Udab, R. N., & Ukanahseil, N. (2023). Accounting Skills, Digital Literacy, and Human Literacy on Work Readiness of Prospective Accountants in Digital Technology Disruption Era. Reflection: Education and Pedagogical Insights, 1(3), 106–115. http://firstcierapublisher.com/index.php/reflection/article/view/48
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Luxury: Landscape of Business Administration
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
