Abstract
Driven by digital transformation and the imperative for organizational resilience, hybrid work models have evolved from emergency measures to strategic organizational arrangements, fundamentally challenging traditional management theories predicated on the assumption of physical co-presence. While granting employees temporal-spatial autonomy and enhancing organizational flexibility, hybrid models have also precipitated compound management dilemmas—blurred work-life boundaries, asynchronous social exchange, psychological contract reconfiguration, and diminished team collaboration efficacy. Systematically uncovering the formation mechanisms and boundary conditions of employees‘ dynamic adaptability in complex contexts has thus become a pivotal issue for both theoretical advancement and management practice refinement in organizational behavior.
Integrating Social Exchange Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Affective Events Theory, this study constructs a "Resource–Need–Affect" triadic dynamic adaptation model to systematically elucidate the generative mechanisms, transmission pathways, and boundary conditions of employee dynamic adaptability in hybrid work settings. The model conceptualizes dynamic adaptability as a higher-order multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive strategy adjustment, psychological state calibration, and behavioral pattern optimization, with particular focus on two core antecedents and their interaction: personalized work experience (work autonomy, task-person fit, and dynamic feedback mechanisms) and work environment integration (physical–virtual synergy and technological support effectiveness).
Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study collected questionnaire data through multi-stage stratified sampling and supplemented it with in-depth managerial interviews for triangulation. Structural equation modeling and regression analyses reveal three key findings. First, both personalized work experience and work environment integration exert significant positive effects on employee dynamic adaptability, with a notable interactive synergy between them. Second, the mediation mechanism tests uncover dual pathways: at the individual level, job satisfaction partially mediates the effect of personalized experience; at the team level, team collaboration efficiency fully mediates the effect of work environment integration and accounts for the dominant explanatory power. Third, moderation analyses identify critical boundary conditions—perceived organizational support amplifies the facilitating effect of personalized experience, while work-life balance needs and technology acceptance positively moderate the empowering effect of environment integration.
Theoretically, this study integrates three foundational theories and introduces “micro-boundary transitions” as a dynamic analytical unit, constructing a context-sensitive and process-oriented explanatory framework that transcends the limitations of traditional static models. It deepens the dynamic understanding of psychological contract reconfiguration, basic psychological need satisfaction, and affective event transmission mechanisms in digital work contexts. Practically, the study offers systematic principles for organizations to build hybrid work management systems: through the synergistic design and iterative optimization of “culture–institution–technology,” organizations should balance standardization and personalization in institutional design, focus on seamless synergy and humanized experience in technology, and cultivate high psychological safety and strong organizational support in culture. These principles systematically cultivate employees’ dynamic adaptability, providing a micro-foundation for sustainable organizational resilience in the digital age.