Looking at the Gig Picture: Defining Gig Work and Explaining Profile Differences in Gig Workers’ Job Demands and Resources

Abstract

Gig workers are a growing portion of the workforce and of increased interest to researchers. Recent reports suggest one in four workers is involved in gig work to some extent. Additionally, gig work has been a trending topic in organizational psychology for the past few years; however, our systematic literature review revealed the need for more attention to address definitional ambiguity and consider the intricacies of gig work. Specifically, this article identified the following gaps in the extant literature: the need for a comprehensive definition of gig work, the creation of profiles to differentiate gig workers, and the application of organizational psychology theories to explain gig workers’ experiences. This conceptual article addresses these gaps by providing clarity with a definition for gig work that captures both the primary (e.g., shared by all gig workers) and secondary (e.g., shared by some gig workers) characteristics of gig work. Further, this article describes five gig worker profiles (i.e., Gig Service Providers, Gig Goods Providers, Gig Data Providers, Agency Gig Workers, and Traditional Gig Workers) based on combinations of secondary characteristics to identify different types of gig work. Using the definition provided in this article and applying the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, propositions were developed to compare gig worker profiles based on the job demands and job resources they experience. Thus, this article serves as a foundation to advance the literature through a consistent definition of gig work that paves the way for future research to better understand gig workers through the JD-R model.

Changing Nature of Work and Employment in the Gig Economy: The Role of Culture Building and Leadership in Sustaining Commitment and Job Satisfaction

“…Watson et al (2021), did an extensive literature review and articulated a comprehensive definition of gig-work based two sets of characteristics (pp. 334–337), viz., Primary characteristics project-based compensation all gig work is temporary involves some level of flexibility in when/how/where the work is performed Secondary characteristics (common to many but not all gig workers) work is facilitated using a technologically enabled network working remotely intermediary or agency-based work …”

Flexible, Self-Determined… and Unhealthy? An Empirical Study on Somatic Health Among Crowdworkers

“…CW distinguishes from other forms of employment by being contracted and limited in compensation and duration of completion to single tasks ( Schulte et al, 2020 ; Watson et al, 2021 ). The term CW must be differentiated from other forms of online work: the gig economy and crowdsourcing.…”

“…The term CW must be differentiated from other forms of online work: the gig economy and crowdsourcing. Whereas the gig economy encompasses paid tasks that are mediated via an online platform, but are accomplished remotely ( Schulte et al, 2020 ; Watson et al, 2021 ), crowdsourcing describes a form of participatory online activity that can have other forms of compensation than payment, for example goods or personal skill enhancement ( Estellés-Arolas and González-Ladrón-de-Guevara, 2012 ). CW is limited to paid online work only (for a detailed overview, see Schulte et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Since the emergence of an internet-based, digital job market, crowdwork (CW) has increasingly become a relevant new form of work ( Berg et al, 2018 ; Watson et al, 2021 ). CW describes a form of online mediated, paid work where contracting requesters (the crowdsourcers) post single and briefly contracted work tasks online to an anonymous group of interested workers (the crowd or crowdworkers) via an open call on an intermediary (the platform; Schulte et al, 2020 ).…”

Measuring the Effect of Employment uncertainty on Fertility in Europe (A literature review)

“…Gig work is most easily defined as work contingent on some external demand(Watson et al, 2021). Workers tend to only have loose working relationships with the employer and compensation is based on one specific performance indicator.…”