Work values and hybrid careers in the gig economy: The evidence from an online labor market

Abstract

Current debates about the gig economy pay increasing attention to the heterogeneity of platform workers. Using a large sample of 10,574 freelancers from an international online labor market, this article investigates the association between individual work values and career trajectories, constructed as a combination of current employment status and future career intentions. The authors consider not only the pure form of freelancing but also hybrid models when people have multiple jobs, combining freelancing with a regular job as an employee (moonlighters) or starting their own business with hired employees (entrepreneurs). The findings suggest that freelancers, moonlighters, and entrepreneurs have distinct work value profiles reflecting the opportunities and constraints in gaining specific rewards from their work. In contrast to moonlighters, freelancers and entrepreneurs are similar in their relative preference for intrinsic values and ignoring security values. In contrast to freelancers, entrepreneurs and moonlighters value social recognition but do not seek a comfortable job. In contrast to entrepreneurs, freelancers and moonlighters prefer a job that meets their abilities. The authors argue that different work values must be better acknowledged when trying to reflect adequately on participation and mobility in the gig economy. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the gig economy as well as to the general literature on the role of work values in labor markets.