Hybrid work, future career anxiety, and happiness at work among women in Pakistan’s IT industry: The moderating role of perceived organisational support

Abstract

This study examines how hybrid work, future career anxiety (FCA), and perceived organisational support (POS) jointly predict happiness at work (HAW) among working women in Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry. Anchored in Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we hypothesise that hybrid work positively predicts HAW, that FCA negatively predicts HAW, and that POS moderates both relationships. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) on a purposive convenience sample of 348 working women across Pakistan’s major IT hubs, we find that FCA significantly and negatively predicts HAW (β = −0.265, p = .003, f² = 0.065), consistent with COR theory’s resource-depletion mechanism. POS is the strongest predictor of HAW (β = 0.593, p < .001, f² = 0.500). Hybrid work does not directly predict HAW (β = 0.043, p = .248), but POS significantly moderates the hybrid work & HAW relationship (β = 0.169, p = .008, f² = 0.040), amplifying hybrid work’s benefits at higher POS levels. POS does not significantly moderate the FCA-HAW relationship (β = 0.101, p = .128). Variance explained is R² = 0.603. The study contributes by (a) introducing FCA as a forward-looking demand distinct from retrospective job insecurity, (b) reconceptualising POS as a resource amplifier with asymmetric moderating effectiveness, and (c) providing the first integrated JD-R/COR empirical test in a gendered, developing country IT context. Findings offer actionable implications for managers, policymakers, and scholars concerned with sustainable well-being for women in technology.