Gig workers as sustainable human resource: A study of freelancer value proposition and its impact on platform usage intentions

BACKGROUND: e-lancing rapid growth poses new challenges in talent management. Gig workers have become an alternate workforce to the organization, which offer technical skills, flexible working hours and cost-effective solutions. This study extends the conceptualization of employee value proposition in the context of freelancers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of freelancer value preposition and platform trust in shaping platform usage intentions. The reflective-formative model is designed to comprehend the freelancer value proposition. METHODS: Online survey method was used and data was collected from 454 freelancers with the help of an adapted questionnaire. PLS-SEM is applied to test the hypothesis. RESULTS: The results exhibit that the Developmental Value (DV), Economic Value (EV) and Social Value (SV) contribute positively in the Freelancer Value Proposition. Furthermore, it shows that attitude towards the use of platform partially mediate platform usage intentions; Moreover, Platform trust has a positive impact on platform usage intentions. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the freelancer value proposition, the study emphasizes on the need to develop relationship with gig-workers in order to fulfil the rising demand of sustainable workforce and to remain competitive in the dynamic business environment.