The Dynamics of Interaction and the Meaning of Presence in a Digital Work Environment: Efforts to Maintain Human Values in the Modern Workplace
Abstract
Digital transformation has fundamentally changed modern office management practices, particularly in how people work, communicate, and build social relationships within organizations. The shift from physical to virtual presence mediated by technology has improved efficiency, flexibility, and productivity. However, this transformation also presents challenges to essential human values such as empathy, solidarity, fairness, and emotional balance among employees. This study aims to examine the dynamics of interaction and the meaning of presence within the context of digital office management while formulating conceptual strategies to sustain human values amid the ongoing paradigm shift. Using a qualitative method through a literature review approach, this research highlights the concept of presence management as a strategic framework that places humans at the core of digital work systems. The findings emphasize the need to balance technological advancement with employees’ psychological well-being through the implementation of policies such as the right to disconnect, flexible working hours, and empathetic digital communication guided by ethical principles. The human-centered office management approach is crucial for fostering productive, inclusive, and sustainable digital workplaces, while ensuring that technological advancements do not diminish the value of human presence or erode the core values of humanity in modern office management.
References
Agrawal, A., Chopra, R., Sharma, G. D., Rao, A., Vasa, L., & Budhwar, P. (2023). Work from home practices as corporate strategy- an integrative review. Heliyon, 9(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19894
Biswas, M. P. (2024). Creating Inclusive workplaces through the lens of human values. In Journal of Informatics Education and Research (Vol. 4). https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v4i2.1199
Blagojević, S., & Kecman, A. (2025). Impact of digital transformation on the efficiency of business communication in hybrid work environments. Economics, Entrepreneurship and Management Research, 24. https://doi.org/10.62907/eemr250401024b
Chaniago, H., & Efawati, Y. (2024). Individual Innovative Behavior Model: The Role of Entrepreneurial Leadership in Uncertain Times. Quality-Access to Success, 25(202). https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/25.202.19
Chaniago, H., & Efawati, Y. (2026). Individual absorptive capacity as a stepping stone for digitalization, digital transformation, and small business performance; Entrepreneurial perspectives. Contaduría y administración, 71(2), 1-36. https://doi.org/10.22201/fca.24488410e.2026.5126
Dănișor, D., & Dănișor, G. (2023). Digital transformation –challenges and perspectives. Annals of the Academy of Romanian Scientists Series on Philosophy, Psychology and Theology, 11(1–2), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.56082/annalsarsciphil.2023.1-2.35
Efawati, Y. (2020). The influence of working conditions, workability and leadership on employee performance. International Journal Administration, Business & Organization, 1(3), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.61242/ijabo.20.40
Efawati, Y. (2024). Peran Budaya Digital dan Kreativitas terhadap Kinerja Karyawan: Apakah Krusial Bagi Perusahaan?. Jurnal Akuntansi Keuangan dan Bisnis, 17(2), 139-150.
Efawati, Y., Rachman, A., Andriani, R., & Veranita, M. (2025). Digital Transformation and Organizational Resilience: The Mediating Role of Digital Literacy. International Journal Administration, Business & Organization, 6(3), 457-471. https://doi.org/10.61242/ijabo.25.684
Efawati, Y., & Rinawati, R. (2026). Digital Transformation and Sustainability: Is Peer-To-Peer Lending A Solution?. Riset: Jurnal Aplikasi Ekonomi Akuntansi dan Bisnis, 8(1), 054-071. https://doi.org/10.37641/riset.v8i1.2754
Fofana, L. (2023). The relationship between social presence and perceived learning in a virtual teaching-learning environment. Technology Journal of Management, Accounting and Economics (TECH), 11(1).
Kojima, H., Chen, D., Oka, M., & Ikegami, T. (2021). Analysis and design of social presence in a computer-mediated communication system. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641927
Kreijns, K., Xu, K., & Weidlich, J. (2021). Social presence: Conceptualization and measurement. In Educational Psychology Review (Vol. 34, Issue 1, pp. 139–170). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09623-8
Kreijns, K., Yau, J., Weidlich, J., & Weinberger, A. (2024). Towards a comprehensive framework of social presence for online, hybrid, and blended learning. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1286594
Markaki, E., & Chadjipadelis, T. (2023). The modern organizational environment: Communication, networking and new technologies as driving forces for sustainability, progress & strategic alignment. International Conference on Business and Economics - Hellenic Open University, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.12681/icbe-hou.5316
Nurain, A., Chaniago, H., & Efawati, Y. (2024). Digital Behavior and Impact on Employee Performance: Evidence from Indonesia. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 19(3), 15-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242024000300015
Pakpahan, B. J. (2021). Mencari definisi kehadiran antar-subjek yang bermakna di ruang digital. BIA’: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pendidikan Kristen Kontekstual, 4(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.34307/b.v4i1.219
Putri, A., Girsang, P., Sri, B., Murtiningsih, E., & Astagini, N. (2024). Dimensi budaya hofstede dalam komunikasi antarkaryawan organisasi multinasional. In Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi (Vol. 6, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.37715/calathu.v6i2.4731
Rahadi, D. R., Fuad, R. M., & Tawaqal, M. I. (2025). Transformation of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the Industry 5.0 era in manufacturing companies (study of the jababeka area, bekasi, indonesia). Journal of Economics, Finance And Management Studies, 08(07), 5050–5055. https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v8-i7-90
Rusmawan, U., Pamungkas, P. D. A., Indrawan, H. E., & Hati, K. (2024). Menghadapi isu etika dalam media digital melalui peningkatan digital ethics. 31 KOMATIKA, 4(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.34148/komatika/v4i1.797
Sari, R. A. A. R. P., Putra, F. I. F. S., Suryawijaya, T. W. E., Reza, A., & Khristina, E. (2025). Kerja di rumah tapi tertekan: Implikasi work from home, tekanan kerja, kelelahan digital terhadap produktivitas generasi sandwich. 37(2), 282–299. https://doi.org/10.24002/modus.v37i2.11383
Sarwesti, Nanda Amalia Putri, Martina Piranti, Dian Ariani, & Irwansyah. (2023). Exploring co-presence in virtual work: A literature review. PERSPEKTIF, 12(4), 1261–1273. https://doi.org/10.31289/perspektif.v12i4.9828
Skootsky, T. J., Sanchez, D. R., & Kawasaki, K. (2023). Feeling connected: Technology-mediated communication and the relationship between modality and affective outcomes. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 7(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7110105
Thilagavathy, S., & Geetha, S. N. (2021). Work-life balance -a systematic review. Vilakshan - XIMB Journal of Management, 20(2), 258–276. https://doi.org/10.1108/xjm-10-2020-0186
Tkalich, A., Smite, D., Andersen, N. H., & Moe, N. B. (2024). What happens to psychological safety when going remote? IEEE Software, 41(1), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2022.3225579
Tudose, A. (2025). Side effects of digital transformation on the working environment: Emerging challenges and implications. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, 19(1), 5018–5024. https://doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2025-0384
Usman, I. (2024). HR management practices in the digital age: Challenges of remote working, digital communication, and employee wellbeing. Proceeding of Research and Civil Society Desemination, 2(1), 85–97. https://doi.org/10.37476/presed.v2i1.63
Walter, Y. (2024). The digital transformation in the psychology of workplace spirituality. Digital Transformation and Society, 3(1), 23–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/DTS-01-2023-0008
Wempe, B., & Collins, R. A. (2024). Students’ perceived social presence and media richness of a synchronous videoconferencing learning environment. Online Learning Journal, 28(1), 22–43. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v28i1.3871
Copyright (c) 2026 Thalita Putri Jaelani, Hana Fauziah Rahayu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- The authors confirm that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published (online) in the journal IJABO (International Journal Administration, Business & Organization) by the Asosiasi Ahli Administrasi Indonesia (A3i), Bandung, Indonesia. The author’s name will be evident in the article. The publisher makes all decisions regarding the layout and distribution of the work.
- Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themself to defend the interests of the publisher and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This license allows the redistribution and reuse of papers provided the authorship is properly credited.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., posting it to an institutional repository or publishing 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 this can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citations of published work.
