The Flexibility Paradox: Kelelahan Digital dan Otonomi Kerja Karyawan Startup
Abstract
The increasing adoption of flexible work practices and Agile methodologies in modern organizations has highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the factors that influence employees’ Work–Life Integration. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of Agile Scrum and Workplace Flexibility on Work–Life Integration among startup employees in Depok City, Indonesia, while investigating the mediating role of Perceived Autonomy. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire survey involving 20 respondents and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) approach with SmartPLS software. Statistical significance was assessed through a non-parametric bootstrapping procedure. The results revealed that Agile Scrum had a positive and significant effect on Work–Life Integration (β = 0.462, p = 0.003), whereas Workplace Flexibility had a positive and significant effect on Perceived Autonomy (β = 0.675, p < 0.001). In contrast, Agile Scrum did not have a significant effect on Perceived Autonomy, Workplace Flexibility did not significantly affect Work–Life Integration, and Perceived Autonomy did not significantly influence Work–Life Integration. These findings suggest that Agile Scrum contributes directly to enhancing employees’ Work–Life Integration, while Workplace Flexibility primarily strengthens employees’ perceptions of autonomy rather than directly improving the integration of work and personal life. The study provides empirical insights into the mechanisms through which Agile work practices and flexible work environments influence employee well-being in startup organizations.
References
Adzro, H., et al. (2026). Analysis of interns’ work readiness: The roles of program quality, mentor support, and project management tools using SEM-PLS. J-GADS: Journal of Governance and Applied Data Science, 1(1).
Alyani, N., et al. (2025a). Analysis of perception and knowledge on chemometric competence among students and practitioners using SEM-PLS. Jurnal Manajemen Sumber Daya Aparatur, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.33701/jmsda.v13i2.5740
Alyani, N., et al. (2025b). Building a culture of tolerance through sustainable leadership, cultural intelligence, and social adaptation: Evidence from a multicultural community in Indonesia. Khazanah Sosial, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.15575/ks.v7i4.49568
Alyani, N., et al. (2026a). Service awareness and management effects on library visit frequency mediated by user interest using SEM-PLS. J-GADS: Journal of Governance and Applied Data Science, 1(1).
Alyani, N., et al. (2026b). Pengaruh digital capability terhadap innovation capability dan operational efficiency startup melalui pemanfaatan AI generatif. J-KBDI: Jurnal Kecerdasan Buatan dan Data Science Industri, 1(1).
Alyani, N., et al. (2026c). Pengaruh perceived ease of use terhadap AI generative adoption dalam meningkatkan competitive advantage startup digital. J-KBDI: Jurnal Kecerdasan Buatan dan Data Science Industri, 1(1).
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
Baxter, D., & Turner, N. (2023). Why Scrum works in new product development: The role of social capital in managing complexity. Production Planning & Control, 34(13), 1248–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1997291
Chung, H., & van der Lippe, T. (2020). Flexible working, work–life balance, and gender equality: Introduction. Social Indicators Research, 151, 365–381.
Chenny, & Saranggih, S. (2025). Work flexibility and work-life balance: Gender and workload analysis. International Journal Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Science and Humanities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x
Dapura, I. F., et al. (2026a). The influence of promotion and social influence on online purchase decisions mediated by convenience. J-GADS: Journal of Governance and Applied Data Science, 1(1).
Dapura, I. F., et al. (2026b). The effect of simple technology implementation on the quality of spectral signal analysis in beginner researcher communities using Orange Data Mining. INJCEI: International Journal of Community Engagement and Impact, 1(1).
Dutta, D. H., & Ohri, K. (2025). Rebalancing work-life integrity and mitigating digital fatigue: A post-COVID framework for advancing employee engagement and organizational sustainability. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5240912
Garlatti Costa, G., & Marinelli, C. (2026). Agile work methods, job autonomy and innovative work behaviour: Examining their interplay in organisational contexts. International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-02-2025-0027
Ghozali, I., & Latan, H. (2020). Partial least squares: Konsep, teknik, dan aplikasi menggunakan SmartPLS 3.0 untuk penelitian empiris (2nd ed.). Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Mander, R., & Antoni, C. H. (2023). Work overload and self-endangering work behavior: The amplifying and buffering role of work autonomy and self-leadership. Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 67(3), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000405
Muller, D., Kropp, M., Anslow, C., & Meier, A. (2021). The effects on social support and work engagement with Scrum events. In 2021 IEEE/ACM 13th International Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE) (pp. 101–104). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/CHASE52884.2021.00019
Nursyafaah, T. H., et al. (2026a). The effect of work environment and motivation on work readiness through competence using a SEM-PLS approach. J-GADS: Journal of Governance and Applied Data Science, 1(1).
Nursyafaah, T. H., et al. (2026b). Pengaruh technology readiness terhadap adopsi AI generatif dan dampaknya terhadap kinerja startup menggunakan SEM-PLS. J-KBDI: Jurnal Kecerdasan Buatan dan Data Science Industri, 1(1).
Nursyafaah, T. H., et al. (2026c). Pemanfaatan SEM-PLS dalam menganalisis variabel kognitif terhadap validasi metode pada bidang kimia. J-TP MIPA: Jurnal Transformasi Pendidikan MIPA, 1(1).
Nursyafaah, T. H., et al. (2026d). The effect of simple technology implementation on spectral preprocessing accuracy using the Savitzky–Golay method in chemometric analysis based on Orange Data Mining. INJCEI: International Journal of Community Engagement and Impact, 1(1).
Patrucco, A. S., Canterino, F., & Minelgaite, I. (2022). How do Scrum methodologies influence the team’s cultural values? A multiple case study on agile teams in nonsoftware industries. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 69(6), 3503–3513. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2022.3146717
Pentjusa, E., & Gaile-Sarkane, E. (2025). Autonomy as a driver of engagement: Examining the role of flexible work in motivating office-based employees. In 2025 Summer Conferences Proceedings.
Pratama, M. O., et al. (2025). Analisis kebutuhan dan minat dalam pemanfaatan teknologi digital di SMK Depok menggunakan SEM-PLS. Jurnal Terapan Informatika Nusantara, 6(6), 635–643. https://doi.org/10.47065/tin.v6i6.8578
Putit, L., Subramaniam, G., Shariff, S. H., Ramachandran, J., & Maniam, B. (2023). Mediating role of autonomy on FWA and WLB among Malaysian academics. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 8(25), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v8i25.4782
Rahman, A. (2025). Agile project management and work-life balance of employees [Master's thesis, Masaryk University].
Rizky, M., et al. (2026). The effect of simple technology implementation on chemometric analysis performance through statistical understanding and outlier detection. INJCEI: International Journal of Community Engagement and Impact, 1(1).
Tan, E. J., & Doraisamy, L. (2025). The impact of flexible work arrangement and technology integration on work-life balance in Malaysia SMEs. Business Management and Strategy.
Vivian, E., & Eryandra, A. (2025). Flexible work arrangements and employee creativity in Indonesia: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Nusantara Journal of Behavioral and Social Science, 4(3), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.47679/njbss.2025110
Wahjudi, E., Rahman, Z., Rozaq, K., & Hamid, A. (2026). Work-life integration and employee well-being: A systematic literature review for SDG 3 and SDG 8 in the hybrid work era. E3S Web of Conferences, 696, 03007. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202669603007
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Rizky, M. Miftahul Madya

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (Refer to The Effect of Open Access).













