Measuring the Sense of Belonging in the Digital Transition

This chapter examines how the digital transition and the consolidation of hybrid work models are reshaping employees' sense of organizational belonging. Drawing on 21 semi-structured interviews with professionals from Spanish digital marketing agencies, the study explores the symbolic, communicative, and cultural dimensions that underpin inclusion and exclusion in hybrid contexts. The findings highlight six interrelated themes: flexibility as a valued but insufficient condition, recognition biased toward physical presence, the mediating role of leadership, the lack of institutionalized cohesion practices, the fragility of organizational culture, and the importance of emotional recognition. Anchored in a constructivist, qualitative research design, the chapter offers theoretical insights and methodological contributions while underscoring the need for intentional communication and cultural strategies to strengthen belonging in digitally mediated organizations.