Revolutionizing startup innovation: harnessing the transformative power of the gig economy

The gig economy, characterized by short-term contracts and freelance work, has significantly altered traditional employment models. This shift poses unique challenges and opportunities for Human Resource Management (HRM). As the gig economy grows, understanding the role of HRM in managing gig workers becomes crucial, particularly in terms of employee engagement, motivation, and retention. This research aims to explore the role of HRM practices in the gig economy, focusing on how HRM can effectively manage and support gig workers to enhance organizational performance and worker satisfaction. A comprehensive mixed-method approach was meticulously employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative techniques to thoroughly assess the role of HRM in the gig economy. The quantitative component involved a structured survey distributed to 250 HR professionals across various industries, with an impressive response rate of 78% (195 respondents). The survey focused on HRM practices such as recruitment (30% of questions), performance management (25%), training (20%), and development (25%). In parallel, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 gig workers from diverse sectors, representing a 10% sampling from the total pool of respondents who participated in the survey. The study utilized SPSS software for quantitative analysis, focusing on multiple regression and factor analysis techniques.These interviews were designed to inclusively explore the gig workers' experiences and expectations regarding HRM practices, providing nuanced insights that complemented the survey data. The quantitative analysis revealed that 68% of HR professionals reported incorporating flexible recruitment strategies tailored to gig workers, with 54% emphasizing performance management systems adapted for short-term contracts. Training and development were less frequently addressed, with only 45% and 38% of respondents indicating specific programs for gig workers.Qualitative interviews further illuminated these findings, with gig workers expressing a strong preference for more inclusive training opportunities (70% of interviewees) and transparent performance management systems (65%). Many gig workers also highlighted the need for development pathways that could lead to longer-term employment or enhanced skills (60%), suggesting a gap between HRM practices and gig worker expectations. The study concludes that HRM plays a critical role in optimizing the gig economy workforce. By adapting HR practices to meet the unique needs of gig workers, organizations can achieve better performance outcomes and improve worker satisfaction. The research underscores the importance of developing HRM frameworks that are flexible, responsive, and aligned with the evolving nature of work in the gig economy.

Innovative startups can bring many benefits to society. Drawing on the social network theory (SNT) and resource-based view (RBV), with mix methods approach, this paper argues that as the primary path for startups acquiring external resources, social networks are beneficial to improving innovative startups’ innovation performance. Using a large amount of data from GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), this paper first runs correlation analysis and regression analysis to empirically analyze entrepreneurs’ social networks’ impact on China’s innovative startups’ innovation performance. The results show that both formal and informal social networks are positively correlated with innovative startups’ innovation performance. Then we consider the moderating effect of entrepreneurial competence and motivation. And the results show both entrepreneurial competence and motivation positively moderate the correlation above. Second, to explore the above correlation’s internal mechanism, we conduct semi-structured interviews with 14 entrepreneurs. Drawing on the resource management theory (RMT) and the process of cross-border knowledge search and assimilation, the mechanism model of entrepreneurs’ social networks on startups’ innovation performance is proposed through content analysis.

Innovation as a Corporate Entrepreneurial Outcome in Newly Established Firms: A Human Resource-Based View

The entrance of the gig economy into the employment field requires many innovative business strategies from both players as well as from the government. This study appraises the management of the freelance workforce from the theory of resource-based view (RBV) and transaction cost economics (TCE), which are helpful theoretical tools. RBV considers freelancer calls, and TCE does benefit and cost analysis when hiring freelancers or home staff. Given the qualitative nature of the research, a combination of interviews and focus groups with the stakeholders operating in the gig economy platform, as well as an analysis of documents of a strategic and legal nature, will be taken to investigate the inner articulations of gig employment. The preliminary results show that having organizational flexibility, personalizing personnel management, and the strategic inclusion of gig workers are the main factors that can ensure business success in a rapidly changing market environment. Nevertheless, without the gender pay gap and legal safeguarding, it becomes evident that there is a further need to work on these. The focus of the study is to bring up topics to be implemented in gig employment, such as the creation of HR policies and legal standards which would promote the sustainability of gig work and, at the same time, protect worker rights, which can contribute to a balanced and fair gig economy

Purpose– This study aims to identify the job characteristics that would boost the personal and work outcomes (e.g. job satisfaction, internal motivation and output quality) of facility managers (FMs) in Singapore based on the Job Characteristics Theory.Design/methodology/approach– The research method is a survey method, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 34 FMs through electronic mail and by post.Findings– Usingt-test of the mean, 23 out of the 39 identified job characteristics are found to be significantly present in FMs’ jobs. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that the job characteristics that are significantly correlated with personal and work outcomes of FMs include those that use a variety of skills, in which task identity is present, task is significant, allow autonomy, provide feedback and meet FMs’ growth needs.Research limitations/implications– The Job Characteristics Theory is found to be applicable to FMs’ jobs, but this needs to be generalized carefully because of the relatively small sample size.Practical implications– It is recommended that the significant job characteristics that are identified in this study be designed and incorporated into FMs’ jobs. These include setting up teams where members play their parts well; a reward system when a job is done well; a career path with ample opportunities for promotion; and communication channels that are clear and precise.Originality/value– Important job characteristics that could boost FMs’ job satisfaction, internal motivation and quality of work are identified. In addition, job characteristics that could reduce their likelihood of leaving the profession are also uncovered. These job characteristics should be designed into FMs’ jobs, so that firms have high performing and motivated FMs.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in most economies, particularly in emerging countries where SMEs contribute up to 60% of total employment and up to 40% of GDP. One of the consequences of this has been the growing internationalisation of SMEs. However, small firms are characterised by a lack of resources in key areas such as financial, managerial, and social capital. So SMEs may not have the prerequisite managerial resources to internationalise, nor the luxury of unlimited time in which to acquire such resources. This requires that SMEs need to access resources swiftly through collaboration with other entities. “Gig economy” could play a role which is providing solution to the SMEs. The gig economy is comprised of a set of freelance individuals who typically offer their services for a short period of time. With the dawn of knowledge economy, the popularity of on-demand short-term jobs is increasing. Such decision is not risk-free as the notion of power, and dependency plays a critical role in the company–supplier relationship. Using the four theoretical lenses—agency theory, resource-based view (RBV), resource dependency theory and transaction cost theory—this paper tries to evaluate the impact of gig economy on SME’s ability to access resources effectively.

The initial public offering (IPO) is one of the most critical events in the lifetime of a young firm. Prior research has shown that firms tend to have successful IPOs if they go public with the endorsement of a prestigious lead underwriter. This paper examines the antecedents to receiving endorsement by a prestigious underwriter and links this to the experience base of a firm's upper echelon. We theorize that the amount and type of upper echelon experience serve as important symbols of a young firm's legitimacy to critical outsiders. We introduce a typology of upper echelon experience that distinguishes between upper echelon upstream, horizontal, and downstream employment-based affiliations and suggest that these different types of upper echelon affiliations allay different types of endorser concerns regarding firm legitimacy, affecting the endorsement process. Further, we theorize that the relationships between upper echelon experience and investment bank prestige will be moderated by technological uncertainty. We test our assertions on a comprehensive sample of public and private biotechnology firms that were founded between 1961 and 1994 and that went public between 1979 and 1996. Analyses of the five-year career histories of the over 3,200 executives and directors that make up the upper echelons of these firms show that firms with upper echelons with affiliations with prominent downstream organizations (i.e., pharmaceutical and/or healthcare companies) and with prominent horizontal organizations (i.e., biotechnology companies) are more likely to attract the endorsement of a prestigious investment bank. We also find that the greater the range of upper echelon affiliations across the categories of upstream, horizontal, and downstream affiliations, the more prestigious the firm's lead underwriter. We also find that these latter results are moderated by technological uncertainty. The present research has implications for the study of organizational legitimacy, interorganizational endorsements, and entrepreneurship.

Despite large-scale financial support of the government, there is increasing criticism about the inefficiency of public R&D investment that fails to lead directly to technological innovation of technology-based start-ups. This paper analyzes the factors that influence technological innovation in Korean technology-based start-ups based on the resource-based view (RBV). The empirical analysis combines ordinary least squares and ordered probit analysis of data collected from 248 technology-based start-ups in Korea. The analysis results statistically confirm the effects of technological capabilities and entrepreneurship on technological innovation. First, a start-up’s technological capabilities measured by patents and technological competitiveness have significant positive effects on technological innovation, while the effect of having an in-house R&D department for technological innovation is not significant. Second, entrepreneurship has a significant positive effect on the technological innovation of a start-up, and this positive effect has a moderating effect that further promotes the positive effect of technological competitiveness on technological innovation.

Purpose This study aims to examine the influencing of sustainability-oriented leadership styles (ethical, responsible and sustainable leadership) (sustainability-oriented leadership [SOL]) on green innovation (GI) in service companies through the components of knowledge management processes (KMPs) (knowledge creation, acquisition, sharing and application). Design/methodology/approach This study used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis to examine the relationship between SOL, KMP and GI based on a survey of 398 managers from service companies in Vietnam. Findings The results of the study indicated a positive association between SOL and the components of KMP. Moreover, the data analysis confirmed the relationship between the components of KMP and GI. Research limitations/implications The direct relationship between SOL and GI, the mediating role of KMP between SOL and GI has not been confirmed in the research model. Practical implications Managers should learn and apply SOL and orient key personnel in their organizations toward these leadership styles. Furthermore, they must spend more time and thought on workforce development through KMP (with emphasis on the roles of knowledge acquisition and knowledge application). Originality/value First, this study combined upper echelons theory (UET) and resource-based view (RBV) into a coherent framework to investigate the influence mechanisms of leadership types necessary for sustainability on KMP (UET) and KMP on GI (RBV). Second, using UET as a foundation but the study extends UET by focusing on SOL and their influence on KMP. Third, this study applies RBV in clarifying the role of each KMP components on GI. Finally, the scope of the study focuses on service companies instead of manufacturing companies or small and medium enterprises as in previous studies.

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, universities worldwide are going into ‘emergency mode’—radically transforming education by switching to online and e‐learning education. In the face of these emergent changes, many academic teachers who are unwilling to use e‐learning or who lack the appropriate competences are suddenly being forced to teach via electronic devices and the Internet. But how will this COVID‐19 forced e‐learning influence academic teachers' motivation and performance? In this conceptual paper, drawing from Job Characteristics Theory—a model of human work motivation, we would like to discuss the possible changes in six motivational job characteristics of the academic teacher's job (task identity, task significance, skill variety, feedback, autonomy, social dimensions of the work) caused by COVID‐19 forced e‐learning. Our concise conceptual elaboration might spark a debate on the possible unintended consequences of COVID‐19 forced e‐learning.

The gig economy has been widely celebrated for its potential to boost national productivity and generate flexible employment opportunities. Yet, beneath its promise lies the paradox of digital inequality. In Indonesia, the rapid growth of platform-based work in transportation, delivery, and online freelancing demonstrates the gig economy’s increasing visibility. However, compared to countries such as India, Brazil, and the United States, the measurable contribution of gig work to long-term economic resilience is less certain. Drawing on secondary data from the ILO, World Bank, and OECD, this paper argues that the gig economy, while expanding labour absorption, disproportionately depends on precarious, low-wage arrangements that limit upward mobility and sustainable growth. From a cultural perspective, gig work normalises hyper-flexibility and individualisation, reshaping the meaning of employment in ways that weaken collective bargaining and career stability. Comparative analysis reveals that countries with robust labour regulations have managed to harness gig productivity without exacerbating inequality, whereas emerging economies with weaker systems, such as Indonesia, risk deepening informalization. This study contends that Indonesia’s policy challenge is not whether the gig economy should grow, but whether it can grow inclusively. Without deliberate labour governance, Indonesia may face a dual economy: one sector benefiting from digital innovation, and another trapped in precarious, digitally mediated inequality.

PurposeBy integrating perspectives from the resource-based view, attention-based view, upper echelon theory and competitive dynamics (CD), the authors seek to understand how chief executive officer (CEO) vigilance influences the way resources are utilized in relation to competitive behavior.Design/methodology/approachThis study's empirical analysis is conducted using a longitudinal design in the US software and IT services industry with a final sample consisting of 44 publicly traded firms and 471 firm-year observations from 1995 to 2009. The authors respectively use the fixed-effects negative binomial model and generalized estimating equation (GEE) model to test the effects of technology resource breadth on competitive intensity and competitive deviance and the interacting effects with CEO attention broadness and uniqueness.FindingsThis study's results show that CEO vigilance (attention broadness and uniqueness) interacts with technology resource breadth to jointly influence competitive intensity and deviance. Firms with vigilant CEOs utilize firm resources to compete less intensively but in an unconventional way.Practical implicationsThis study reveals that when CEOs have a broader focus and attend to a wide range of information, their ability to quickly utilize firm resources for formulating competitive actions decreases. Consequently, it is crucial for CEOs to acknowledge the limitations of their attentional capacity. They need to understand that the allocation of their attention and information processing capacity has significant implications for the speed and quality of their decision-making processes.Originality/valueThe authors conceptualize and operationalize CEO vigilance, which is a novel construct that has not been studied. The authors show that CEO vigilance plays critical roles in utilizing resources to compete. This study offers significant research implications for attention-based view, upper-echelons theory, CD perspective and resource-based view.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on the innovation performance of new venture enterprises in Northeast China. Utilising the upper echelon theory (UET), resource-based view (RBV) and a quantitative research design with SmartPLS analysis, it seeks to understand how entrepreneurial leadership influences innovation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the upper echelon theory (UET) and resource-based view (RBV), this paper constructs a structural equation model to establish the mediating roles of innovation climate and absorptive capacity in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and innovation performance. The study sample comprises 398 employees from new venture enterprises in Northeast China. The analysis uses SmartPLS to validate the mediating effects of organisational innovation climate and absorptive capacity on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and innovation performance. Findings The study confirms that innovation climate and absorptive capacity mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and innovation performance, exerting a positive influence. Originality/value This research fills the gap in the literature regarding the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on the innovation performance of new ventures. Furthermore, it elucidates the mediating mechanisms of entrepreneurial leadership on innovation performance, contributing insights of both academic and practical significance.

Background: Banks and financial institutions are vulnerable to money laundering (ML) as a result of crime proceeds infiltrating banks in the form of significant cash deposits. Improved financial crime compliance processes and systems enable anti-ML (AML) analysts to devote considerable time and effort to case investigation and process quality work, thereby lowering financial risks by reporting suspicious activity in a timely and effective manner. This study uses Job Characteristics Theory (JCT) to evaluate the AML system through the job satisfaction and motivation of its users. The purpose of this study is to determine how satisfied AML personnel are with their jobs and how motivated they are to work with the system. Methods: This cross-sectional study used JCT to investigate the important elements impacting employee satisfaction with the AML system. The five core dimensions of the job characteristics were measured using a job diagnostic survey. The respondents were employees working in the AML department of a Malaysian bank, and the sample group was chosen using a purposive sampling approach. A total of 100 acceptable replies were gathered and analysed using various statistical approaches. A motivating potential score was generated for each employee based on five main job characteristics. Results: Findings revealed that five core job characteristics, namely, skill diversity, task identity, task importance, autonomy and feedback, positively influence the AML system employees' job satisfaction. However, skill variety and autonomy are found to be low, which are reflected in the poor motivating potential score. Conclusion: This study examined the characteristics of the AML system and its users' job satisfaction. Findings revealed that task significance is the most widely recognised characteristic, followed by feedback and task identity. However, there is a lack of skill variety and autonomy, which must be addressed to improve employee satisfaction with the AML system.

Background: Banks and financial institutions are vulnerable to money laundering (ML) as a result of crime proceeds infiltrating banks in the form of significant cash deposits. Improved financial crime compliance processes and systems enable anti-ML (AML) analysts to devote considerable time and effort to case investigation and process quality work, thereby lowering financial risks by reporting suspicious activity in a timely and effective manner. This study uses Job Characteristics Theory (JCT) to evaluate the AML system through the job satisfaction and motivation of its users. The purpose of this study is to determine how satisfied AML personnel are with their jobs and how motivated they are to work with the system. Methods: This cross-sectional study used JCT to investigate the important elements impacting employee satisfaction with the AML system. The five core dimensions of the job characteristics were measured using a job diagnostic survey. The respondents were employees working in the AML department of a Malaysian bank, and the sample group was chosen using a purposive sampling approach. A total of 100 acceptable replies were gathered and analysed using various statistical approaches. A motivating potential score was generated for each employee based on five main job characteristics. Results: Findings revealed that five core job characteristics, namely, skill diversity, task identity, task importance, autonomy and feedback, positively influence the AML system employees' job satisfaction. However, skill variety and autonomy are found to be low, which are reflected in the poor motivating potential score. Conclusion: This study examined the characteristics of the AML system and its users' job satisfaction. Findings revealed that task significance is the most widely recognised characteristic, followed by feedback and task identity. However, there is a lack of skill variety and autonomy, which must be addressed to improve employee satisfaction with the AML system.