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

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.