FROM FLEXIBILITY TO FULFILMENT: A STUDY OF HYBRID WORK ENVIRONMENT ON EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AND HOLISTIC WELLBEING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v14.i5.2026.6860Keywords:
Hybrid Work, Employee Commitment, Holistic Wellbeing, Social Exchange, Meyer and Allen Model, Digital Exhaustion, Human Capital SustainabilityAbstract [English]
The model shift toward hybrid work environments represents one of the most significant structural transformations in the history of organizational behaviour. As enterprises transition from the reactive remote work policies necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic to formalized hybrid models in the 2024-2026 era, the focus of academic and managerial inquiry has moved beyond operational feasibility to the sustainability of human capital. This comprehensive research investigates the profound implications of hybrid work arrangements on two critical organizational outcomes: Employee Commitment, examined through Meyer and Allen’s Three-Component Model (Affective, Continuance, Normative), and Holistic Wellbeing, encompassing physical, mental, and social dimensions. Drawing upon an exhaustive review of empirical literature, longitudinal studies, and theoretical frameworks including Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands-Resources Model, this study identifies a "Paradox of Flexibility." While hybrid arrangements significantly enhance Continuance Commitment through the provision of autonomy and cost savings, they simultaneously threaten Affective Commitment by eroding social capital and latent workplace functions. Furthermore, the paper reveals a complex dichotomy in wellbeing outcomes: while employees gain relief from commuting stress, they face rising risks of sedentary behaviour, digital exhaustion, and social isolation. The findings suggest that moving from mere flexibility to genuine fulfilment requires a strategic re-architecting of the "psychological contract," placing a premium on intentional social engineering, the mitigation of proximity bias, and the protection of manager wellbeing.
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