The relationship between digital technology usage, managerial support, and psychological detachment with employees' work-life conflict in the public sector in Kuching
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/jcshd.9508.2025Keywords:
work-life conflict, digital technology usage, managerial support, psychological detachment, Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) modelAbstract
Navigating the balance between professional responsibilities and personal well-being remains a significant challenge facing today's workforce in our increasingly connected global workplace. This study investigates key factors influencing work-life conflict through the theoretical lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, examining how digital technology usage, managerial support, and psychological detachment interact to shape employees' work-life experiences. A quantitative approach was employed, collecting data from 100 public sector employees in Kuching, Sarawak via an online questionnaire. Results indicate that digital technology usage, as a job demand, is positively associated with work-life conflict, suggesting that higher technology use contributes to greater conflict between work and personal life. In contrast, managerial support and psychological detachment, as job resources, are negatively associated with work-life conflict, demonstrating that supportive leadership and the ability to disengage from work help mentally reduce such conflict. These findings provide valuable insights for organisational policy development, suggesting that interventions should target both reducing excessive technology demands and strengthening supportive resources. Human resource practitioners can leverage these results to design comprehensive wellness programs that facilitate psychological detachment, foster supportive leadership practices, and establish reasonable boundaries for technology use.
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