Digital Well-Being of Public Servants

Abstract Research purpose. This study aims to investigate how work in the digital environment affects the emotional, mental, and physical dimensions of digital well-being among Latvian public administration employees, and to develop recommendations for both managers and employees to enhance digital well-being. Design / Methodology / Approach. Primarily, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, followed by a survey, using the Mathew et al. (2023) developed research instrument (questionnaire). Latvian public administration employees participated in the survey. A descriptive frequency analysis of the Digital Well-Being Scale was conducted using non-parametric statistics, with items categorised by perceived importance. Differences were examined with the Kruskal–Wallis test, and open-ended responses were Content analysed to identify strategies and emotional categories. Findings. The study found that nearly 90% of public servants surveyed experience moderate or high levels of stress. Key factors among these groups include psychological factors such as productivity and decisiveness. At the same time, emotional factors showed no significant influence, and physical aspects had only a moderate impact. In summary, it can be concluded that digital tools contributed to the development of cognitive abilities and efficiency. Still, for respondents with a higher level, digital resources caused negative physical consequences, such as sleep disturbance, physical discomfort, and decreased activity. Originality / Value / Practical implications. The obtained results highlight factors that impact the digital well-being of employees in the Latvian state and local government institutions while working in a digital environment. Based on the received data, recommendations were developed for employers on how to improve the digital environment and digital well-being of their employees. Recommendations were also formulated for the employees themselves on how they can take care of themselves and improve their digital well-being.