The Gig Economy: Workers, Work and Platform Perspective

In recent years, the gig economy has changed the way many people work. This research phenomenon has attracted scientists from many different fields to an emerging field of research. Given the actuality of the topic and diversity of perspectives, there is a great need to collect and connect what has been researched which can serve as a basis for future discussions. Starting with a collection of 139 publications on the gig economy, gig work and related terms, we identify some trends in the literature and the underlying research interests. In particular, we organize the literature around the concept of the gig economy in terms of gig workers, gig work, and digital platforms, and draw several interesting insights from the literature. Finally, we identify important gaps in the existing literature on working in the gig economy and provide guidance for future research

Understanding the Careers of IT Freelancers on Digital Labor Platforms

Online freelancing as an alternative working form increasingly gains prominence in research and practice. Here, independent workers offer services on digital labor platforms. While the general understanding of this form of work increases, IT work performed in this form is not fully understood. Especially the collaborative nature of IT work and the high, rapidly changing skill level required, affects the career development of IT freelancers. Therefore, this study aims to understand how the careers of IT freelancers evolve. To answer our research question, we conduct an exploratory analysis of twelve IT freelancers on a digital labor platform. We develop an IT freelancing career process model. Furthermore, we outline advancement and decline mechanisms and different exit options from the digital labor platform. We also illustrate the role of IT freelancer teams. Our findings thus contribute to the body of knowledge on IT work and alternative work forms on digital labor platforms

IT Professionals in the Gig Economy - The Success of IT Freelancers on Digital Labor Platforms

When IT work is performed through digital labor markets, IT professionals have a high degree of personal responsibility for their careers and must use appropriate strategies to be successful. This paper investigates the success of IT freelancers on digital labor platforms. Drawing on signaling theory, a dataset of 7166 IT freelancers is used to examine how activating, pointing, and supporting signals lead to success. Analysis was carried out using negative binomial regression. The results indicate that the three signaling types positively influence the objective career success of IT freelancers. This paper contributes to the literature by testing signaling theory in the new context of digital labor platforms, investigating IT specifics, and proposing support as a new type of signal for IT professionals on digital labor platforms. In practice, the results provide guidelines for IT freelancers to improve their success within their careers