A configurational approach to career success in the gig economy

Abstract

In this chapter, we propose a configurational approach to theorising career success in the gig economy. Given the flexibility, agency, unpredictability, and insecurity that characterise the gig economy, existing notions of career success may need to be revisited. Furthermore, the vast heterogeneity of gig work means that what may be applicable in one context, such as a platform or occupation, may be irrelevant in another. In contrast to the linear and propositional mode of thinking and theorising that dominates the field, a configurational approach focusses on conjectural causation, equifinality, and causal asymmetry. It enables us to acknowledge and understand the context, the interrelations among the factors unique to gig work, and the nuanced different recipes and routes to career success in the gig economy. The chapter reviews career success, gig work, and considers these together, before outlining a configurational approach and how it would apply to career success in the gig economy. We close with the implications of these approaches and future research directions.

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Identifiers

ORCID for David Cross: orcid.org/0000-0002-7984-3718

ORCID for Huainan Wang: orcid.org/0000-0001-7251-6362

ORCID for Mina Beigi: orcid.org/0000-0002-4866-7205

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