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Abstract

The phenomenon of hybrid working, which combines working from home and from the office, offers flexibility that has the potential to enhance work-life balance for employees. This is believed to be particularly significant for working mothers who carry high domestic responsibilities, providing them with the space to manage their time between work and family. Utilizing the Self-Determination Theory framework, this study aims to understand the meanings and strategies employed by working mothers navigating hybrid work. This research adopts a qualitative approach through interviews with 13 working mothers at a life insurance company in Jakarta. The findings indicate that for working mothers, hybrid working is interpreted as a form of flexibility that increases motivation and productivity, an answer to the needs of working mothers, and ambiguous boundaries between professional and personal life. Based on the analysis, it was also found that establishing adaptive communication within both work and family environments, maintaining commitment and increasing competence, and optimizing internal and external support are the strategies used by working mothers in undergoing hybrid working. These findings present a working mother’s perspective on the hybrid working experience in Indonesia and contribute to how Self-Determination Theory can explain individual experiences within a hybrid work model.

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Bahasa Abstract

Fenomena hybrid working yang menggabungkan kerja dari rumah dan dari kantor menawarkan fleksibilitas yang berpotensi meningkatkan keseimbangan kerja dan kehidupan bagi karyawan. Hal ini dipercaya khususnya bagi ibu bekerja yang memiliki tanggung jawab domestik yang tinggi, sehingga memberikan mereka ruang untuk mengatur waktu antara pekerjaan dan keluarga. Dengan menggunakan kerangka Self Determination Theory, penelitian ini bertujuan memahami makna dan strategi ibu bekerja dalam menjalani hybrid working. Penelitian ini mengadopsi studi kualitatif melalui wawancara terhadap 13 ibu bekerja di salah satu perusahaan asuransi jiwa di Jakarta. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa bagi ibu bekerja, hybrid working dimaknai sebagai fleksibilitas yang meningkatkan motivasi dan produktivitas, jawaban atas kebutuhan ibu bekerja, dan kaburnya batas antara kehidupan profesional dan personal. Berdasarkan hasil analisis juga diketahui bahwa membangun komunikasi adaptif dengan lingkungan kerja dan keluarga, menjaga komitmen dan meningkatkan kompetensi, serta mengoptimalkan dukungan internal dan eksternal adalah strategi yang digunakan ibu bekerja dalam menjalani hybrid working. Temuan ini menghadirkan perspektif ibu bekerja terhadap pengalaman hybrid working di Indonesia dan juga berkontribusi pada bagaimana self determination theory dapat menjelaskan pengalaman individu dalam hybrid working.

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