The construction of digital well-being in corporate discourse: The case of Google and Microsoft

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The construction of digital well-being in corporate discourse: The case of Google and Microsoft

Tetiana Leleka

Received 04.07.2025, Revised 11.11.2025, Accepted 16.12.2025

https://doi.org/10.67524/verus6/1.2025.42

Retrieved from Vol. 1, No. 1, 2025

Pages 42-57

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the linguistic and communicative mechanisms involved in the construction of digital well-being within the corporate discourse of Google and Microsoft, and to examine their impact on organisational norms, professional roles and corporate culture. The methodological framework consisted of a combination of theoretical, institutional, comparative, functional, discursive and normative analysis, supplemented by methods of systematisation and typologisation. This made it possible to trace the evolution of the concept of digital well-being, examine the normative foundations of its development and compare the corporate practices of the two international technology companies. The analysis confirmed that digital well-being had attained the status of a strategic element of corporate governance. An examination of the regulatory framework revealed that the disclosure of information regarding employee mental health had become an integral part of corporate accountability and management policy. A functional analysis of corporate documents enabled the identification of informational, integrative, regulatory, legitimising and representational functions, which were combined within a single communicative message. In corporate discourse, the normative language of values, positive framing of organisational change, the construction of collective identity and narratives of success were identified as the leading mechanisms for shaping digital well-being. A comparison of corporate policies revealed the dominance of a cultural-behavioural model at Google, based on psychological safety, whilst Microsoft employed a managerial-analytical model prioritising the measurement of digital workload, productivity and work patterns. Despite their different communication approaches, both companies had integrated digital well-being into their human capital development strategies, combining it with policies on sustainable development, inclusivity, digital transformation and leadership development. The findings could be utilised by HR professionals, executives of multinational companies and digital well-being policymakers developing strategies to support employees in the digital environment

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Suggested citation
Leleka, T. (2025). The construction of digital well-being in corporate discourse: The case of Google and Microsoft. Journal of Discourse Analysis & Critical Studies, 1(1), 42-57. https://doi.org/10.67524/verus6/1.2025.42