The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in the Relationship between Work-Life Balance and Turnover Intention among Generation Z Employees: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda
Keywords:
Work-Life Balance, Employee Engagement, Turnover Intention, Generation Z, Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
The high rate of turnover among Generation Z employees has become a critical challenge for modern organizations; however, the mechanism linking work-life balance to that tendency has not been fully understood, particularly the mediating role of employee engagement. This study aims to examine the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between work-life balance and turnover intention among Generation Z employees and to develop a future research agenda. The method used is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with the PRISMA 2020 protocol, covering systematic searches across five indexed databases, namely Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar. Of the 847 articles identified, 32 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed using a thematic synthesis. The synthesis results indicate that work-life balance has a significant positive effect on employee engagement, employee engagement has a significant negative effect on turnover intention, and employee engagement is proven to partially mediate the relationship between the two. The synthesis also identifies the phenomenon of ambivalent engagement that is characteristic of Generation Z, as well as three main gaps, namely theoretical, methodological, and contextual gaps. This study provides practical implications for HR managers in designing value-based retention policies and opens longitudinal and mixed methods research agendas in the Southeast Asian context.
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Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Triningsih, N. N., & Darma, G. S. (2024). Compensation, worklife balance, employee engagement, and turnover intention. Quantitative Economics and Management Studies, 5(1), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems2158
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. (2024). Trendlines: August 2024. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/opder/DASP/Trendlines/posts/2024_08/Trendlines_August_2024.html
Wibaselppa, A. (2025). The role of employee engagement in increasing millennial and Gen Z employee retention. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 3(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.37867/te150224
Zhu, L. L., Wang, H. J., Xu, Y. F., Ma, S. T., & Luo, Y. Y. (2023). The effect of work engagement and perceived organizational support on turnover intention among nurses: A meta-analysis. Nursing Open, 10(4), 2053–2065. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3356620
Zulkifli, R., Satria, E., Supriyadi, A., & Santosa, T. A. (2024). Understanding Generation Z: Work-life balance and job embeddedness in retention dynamics. Binus Business Review, 15(3), 225–238. https://journal.binus.ac.id/index.php/BBR/article/view/11277
Apollo Technical. (2024). Gen Z workplace statistics: Workforce participation and tenure data. https://www.apollotechnical.com/gen-z-workplace-statistics/
Arief, M., Setyaningsih, R., & Pramudita, D. (2025). Green work-life balance and career development on turnover intention with employee engagement as a mediating variable. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 10(2), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2025.10.2.52779
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2023). Job demands-resources and conservation of resources theories: How do they help to explain employee well-being and future job design? Journal of Business Research, 175, 114554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114554
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Deloitte Global. (2024). The Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genz-millennialsurvey.html
Gašić, D., & Berber, N. (2023). The mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between flexible work arrangements and turnover intentions among highly educated employees in the Republic of Serbia. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020131
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513
Karyati, S., & Suwandi, S. (2025). Exploring the relationship between generational diversity, employee engagement, and turnover intention: Evidence from manufacturing workers. International Journal of Business and Management Review, 3(2), 86–95.
Lestari, D., & Margaretha, M. (2021). Work life balance, job engagement and turnover intention: Experience from Y generation employees. Management Science Letters, 11(1), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2020.8.019
LPEM FEB UI. (2024). Labor market brief: Generation Z unemployment rate in Indonesia 2023. Lembaga Penyelidikan Ekonomi and Masyarakat FEB UI. https://databoks.katadata.co.id/en/employment/statistics/66ff7e21be18d/indonesias-gen-z-unemployment-rate-2023
Mandagi, D. W. (2022). Work-life balance, job satisfaction and performance among millennial and Gen Z employees: A systematic review. Society, 10(2), 386–398. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v10i2.356
Nasution, F. R., Handayani, T., & Rizky, A. (2025). Effects of work-life balance and work environment on employee engagement among Generation Z in private companies. Journal of Economics, Management and Accounting, 8(1), 1–12.
Otoo, F. N. K. (2024). Does employee engagement mediate the nexus of job resource and employee turnover intentions? IIMT Journal of Management, 1(2), 130–170. https://doi.org/10.1108/IIMTJM-10-2023-0032
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4
Pózner, B. M., & Kozák, A. (2025). From acquisition to retention: Expectations, motivation and commitment of Generation Z workers based on a systematic literature review. Human Relations, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01672533251339602
Praveena, K. B. J., Sathyapriya, J., & Kamalakannan, T. (2024). Impact of work-life balance on employee turnover intention of Generation Z and mediating effect of job satisfaction. Proceedings of the 7th Annual International Research Symposium. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390201875
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2003). Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Preliminary manual. Utrecht University. https://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/publications/Schaufeli/Test%20Manuals/Test_manual_UWES_English.pdf
Siburian, R., Wandasari, C. R., & Hadi, C. (2025). Understanding turnover intention of Generation Z in Indonesia: The role of work-life balance and work environment. Jurnal Ekonomi, Manajemen Pariwisata and Perhotelan, 4(2), 155–170.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Triningsih, N. N., & Darma, G. S. (2024). Compensation, worklife balance, employee engagement, and turnover intention. Quantitative Economics and Management Studies, 5(1), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems2158
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. (2024). Trendlines: August 2024. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/opder/DASP/Trendlines/posts/2024_08/Trendlines_August_2024.html
Wibaselppa, A. (2025). The role of employee engagement in increasing millennial and Gen Z employee retention. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 3(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.37867/te150224
Zhu, L. L., Wang, H. J., Xu, Y. F., Ma, S. T., & Luo, Y. Y. (2023). The effect of work engagement and perceived organizational support on turnover intention among nurses: A meta-analysis. Nursing Open, 10(4), 2053–2065. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3356620
Zulkifli, R., Satria, E., Supriyadi, A., & Santosa, T. A. (2024). Understanding Generation Z: Work-life balance and job embeddedness in retention dynamics. Binus Business Review, 15(3), 225–238. https://journal.binus.ac.id/index.php/BBR/article/view/11277
Published
2026-06-20
How to Cite
Lailafitri, L., & Hermana, C. (2026). The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in the Relationship between Work-Life Balance and Turnover Intention among Generation Z Employees: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda. International Journal of Economics, Business and Innovation Research, 5(04), 1858-1874. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i04.4542
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