Meaningful Work and Subjective Well-Being: The Role of Job-Career (In)congruence in the Gig Economy

Abstract

Flexible employment arrangements on multiple online intermediary platforms with few constraints as to how much, when and where work is performed is becoming the new work reality for many individuals. Arguments have been advanced that this type of work is inherently demeaning. In this article, we seek to explore the worker perspective regarding whether these types of gig labor arrangements are regarded as limited jobs or more as long-term careers. We draw on career construction theory and hypothesize a job-career congruence model that suggests that when workers’ cognitive presentation of their gig work as jobs or careers are incongruent, they are less likely to experience their work as meaningful and subsequently experience lower subjective well-being. The results from a two-stage field study of 803 workers from two different crowdsourcing platforms support these incongruent relationships and provides clarity regarding how gig work factors in to an individual’s life. In addition, we demonstrate that workers who are proactive in nature seem to excel more in these fluid work settings, which points to the necessity of self-leadership in such work arrangements to ensure prosperity.