Gig workers' psychological contracts and turnover intention: A mediated path analysis of organizational identification and job satisfaction

Abstract

This study, grounded in social exchange theory and social identity theory, aims to examine the influence of psychological contract fulfillment on turnover intention among gig workers. It employs mediated path analysis, specifically examining the mediating roles of organizational identification and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to assess the goodness of fit of the proposed model and to test the proposed hypotheses. In Study 1, data collected from the ride-hailing industry in China (N = 374) proved that both transactional and relational contract fulfillment negatively impacted turnover intention, with this relationship mediated by organizational identification and job satisfaction. Study 2, employing time-lagged data (N = 426) collected at two different time points from the food delivery industry in China, also confirmed the negative relationship between transactional and relational contract fulfillment and turnover intention, as well as the mediating effects of organizational identification and job satisfaction. This research advances the current understanding within the psychological contract literature by providing insights into the dynamics of psychological contracts within the context of the gig economy. The findings have significant implications for the management.