Hybrid Work and Digital Leadership on Employee Performance through Work-Life Balance in Startups in Indonesia

Yuli Maharani; Anwar Azazi; Efa Irdhayanti; Ilzar Daud; Ahmad Shalahuddin

Authors

Yuli Maharani Universitas Tanjungpura
Anwar Azazi Universitas Tanjungpura
Efa Irdhayanti Universitas Tanjungpura
Ilzar Daud Universitas Tanjungpura
Ahmad Shalahuddin Universitas Tanjungpura

Keywords:

Hybrid Work, Digital Leadership, Work-Life Balance, Employee Performance

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of hybrid work and digital leadership style on employee performance, with work-life balance as a mediating variable in technology startup environments. A quantitative explanatory design was applied to test the proposed relationships among variables. Data were collected through surveys of 200 employees working in hybrid-based technology startups across Java. The analysis used Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate both direct and indirect effects between constructs. The results indicate that hybrid work has no significant direct effect on employee performance, while digital leadership shows a significant positive effect on performance improvement. Both hybrid work and digital leadership significantly enhance work-life balance among employees. Furthermore, work-life balance positively influences employee performance and functions as a full mediator in the relationship between hybrid work and performance, and as a partial mediator between digital leadership and performance. These findings highlight the importance of balancing work arrangements and leadership practices to optimize employee outcomes in digital startup ecosystems.

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