Investigating the effect of self-leadership on thriving at work among gig workers: a moderated dual path model

Thriving at work is positively associated with individual health, attitudes, and work performance. Current studies have explored how workers’ thriving is fostered in traditional organizational settings. Still, we know less about what gig workers can do to generate and sustain their thriving in the gig work context. To fill this gap, we focus on gig workers’ agentic role in creating thriving at work. Drawing on goal-setting theory, we develop and examine a research model that self-leadership among gig workers influences thriving at work through goal clarity and commitment. We also propose that gig workers’ perceptions of algorithmic autonomy support can moderate these mediation effects above. Results from a three-wave survey data collected from 318 gig drivers in China support most of our hypotheses. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how and when thriving at work is created by gig workers themselves. Implications of these observations for theory and practice are also discussed.