THE ROLE OF MOBA GAMING IN EMPLOYEE RECOVERY: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK INTEGRATING JOB CHALLENGE DEMANDS AND RECOVERY EXPERIENCES

Abstract

Employee wellbeing has gained increasing attention globally as employee burnout continues to rise, suggesting the need to explore alternative recovery mechanisms. Simultaneously, Employees are increasingly engaging in digital gaming, particularly Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games, as a form of recovering activity from work stressors. Despite its growing participation, the role of MOBA gaming in employee recovery and burnout remain underexplored in organizational research. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory and Recovery Experience Theory (RET), this conceptual paper examines how MOBA gaming may function as a recovery resource for employees. Job challenge demands, conceptualized through job complexity and workload, are proposed as antecedents of burnout. Psychological detachment and mastery are introduced as recovery experiences derived from MOBA gaming. This conceptual framework will contribute to the literature by positioning digital gaming as a legitimate recovery pathway and offers implications for organizational interventions and policy development aimed at enhancing employee sustainable performance.