Gig Economy Management: Strategies for Managing a Flexible Workforce in the Digital Ecosystem
The rapid expansion of the gig economy has fundamentally transformed the nature of work, challenging traditional paradigms of human resource management (HRM) and organizational control. This article examines management strategies for flexible workforces operating within digital ecosystems, with particular emphasis on algorithmic management, digital platform dynamics, and their implications for worker autonomy, engagement, and performance. Drawing on a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2021 and 2025, this study synthesizes evidence from multiple disciplines including HRM, organizational behavior, information systems, and labor economics. The analysis identifies eight major thematic clusters, including algorithmic management, digital HRM, worker autonomy, recruitment processes, job crafting, regulation, socio-technical dynamics, and sector-specific findings. Results reveal that algorithmic control pervades gig work, creating tension between operational efficiency and worker well-being. Platform-mediated HRM replaces conventional managerial functions with data-driven mechanisms, raising critical questions about fairness, transparency, and worker representation. This article concludes with strategic recommendations for organizations, policymakers, and researchers seeking to navigate the complex landscape of gig workforce management in the digital age.
- Alauddin, F. D. A., Aman, A., Ghazali, M. F., & Daud, S. (2024). The influence of digital platforms on gig workers: A systematic literature review. Heliyon, 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41491
- Alfarizi, M., Noer, L. R., & Noer, B. A. (2025). Technological support, hybrid work, and national employment policies: Catalysts for worker productivity and SDG 8 achievement in Indonesia's gig economy. Jurnal Ketenagakerjaan. https://doi.org/10.47198/jnaker.v20i1.440
- Altenried, M. (2021). Mobile workers, contingent labour: Migration, the gig economy and the multiplication of labour. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 56, 1113–1128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518x211054846
- Bateyo, A. (2025). The gig economy: Implications for workforce management. Research Invention Journal of Current Issues in Arts and Management. https://doi.org/10.59298/rijciam/2025/413942
- Benlian, A., Wiener, M., Cram, W., Krasnova, H., Maedche, A., Möhlmann, M., Recker, J., & Remus, U. (2022). Algorithmic management. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 64, 825–839. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-022-00764-w
- Chen, J., & Chen, M. (2025). Humanized algorithms matter! From enabling social exchange factors to building affective trust mechanism for facilitating gig workers' task performance. Personnel Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-07-2024-0688
- Dedema, M., & Rosenbaum, H. (2024). Socio-technical issues in the platform-mediated gig economy: A systematic literature review. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 75, 344–374. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24868
- Duggan, J., Carbery, R., McDonnell, A., & Sherman, U. (2023). Algorithmic HRM control in the gig economy: The app-worker perspective. Human Resource Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22168
- Ferrari, F., & Graham, M. (2021). Fissures in algorithmic power: Platforms, code, and contestation. Cultural Studies, 35, 814–832. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2021.1895250
- Heiland, H. (2021). Neither timeless, nor placeless: Control of food delivery gig work via place-based working time regimes. Human Relations, 75, 1824–1848. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211025283
- Jayakarthika, K., Aravind, J., Ilakkiya, N., Karthiga, G., Farha, A., & Varun, M. (2024). Unlocking the potential: HRM integration of AI in the gig economy for enhanced ERP performance. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering Hub. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaeh.2024.0232
- Kadolkar, I., Kepes, S., & Subramony, M. (2024). Algorithmic management in the gig economy: A systematic review and research integration. Journal of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2831
- Keegan, A., & Meijerink, J. (2025). Algorithmic management in organizations? From edge case to center stage. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110622-070928
- Khalid, J., & Rana, A. (2025). Regulating the digital workforce: A human resource and legal agenda for gig workers. Journal of Political Stability Archive. https://doi.org/10.63468/3.3.28
- Kim, P., Cheon, E., & Sawyer, S. (2023). Online freelancing on digital labor platforms: A scoping review. Companion Publication of the 2023 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. https://doi.org/10.1145/3584931.3607011
- Köhler, H.-D. (2022). Book review: Riding for Deliveroo: Resistance in the new economy. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 28, 389–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/10242589221123774
- Lankanath, R. K. M. (2025). Human resource management in the gig economy: A critical review of integration and performance management strategies for a contingent workforce. Research Journal in Business and Economics. https://doi.org/10.61424/rjbe.v3i3.561
- Lata, L., Burdon, J., & Reddel, T. (2022). New tech, old exploitation: Gig economy, algorithmic control and migrant labour. Sociology Compass. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13028
- Liu, R., & Yin, H. (2024). How algorithmic management influences gig workers' job crafting. Behavioral Sciences, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100952
- Mahato, M., Kumar, N., & Jena, L. (2021). Re-thinking gig economy in conventional workforce post-COVID-19: A blended approach for upholding fair balance. Journal of Work-Applied Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jwam-05-2021-0037
- McDonnell, A., Carbery, R., Burgess, J., & Sherman, U. (2021). Technologically mediated human resource management in the gig economy. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32, 3995–4015. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.1986109
- Muldoon, J., & Raekstad, P. (2022). Algorithmic domination in the gig economy. European Journal of Political Theory, 22, 587–607. https://doi.org/10.1177/14748851221082078
- Pilatti, G., Pinheiro, F., & Montini, A. (2024). Systematic literature review on gig economy: Power dynamics, worker autonomy, and the role of social networks. Administrative Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14100267
- Popan, C. (2021). Embodied precariat and digital control in the 'gig economy': The mobile labor of food delivery workers. Journal of Urban Technology, 31, 109–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2021.2001714
- Prathaban, S. (2025). Gig economy talent management strategies for attracting and retaining freelance workers in a globalized market. 2025 World Skills Conference on Universal Data Analytics and Sciences (WorldSUAS), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/worldsuas66815.2025.11199292
- Sahu, G. R. (2025). The rise of gig economy: How HR is adapting to a new workforce model. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaem.2025.0108
- Schreyer, J. (2021). Algorithmic work coordination and workers' voice in the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Foodora/Lieferando. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation. https://doi.org/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0069
- Shabu, K., Priya, M., Mageswari, S., Prabhash, N., & Hari, A. (2025). Shaping the gig economy: Insights into management, technology, and workforce dynamics. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies. https://doi.org/10.14419/sx68fc91
- Shad, M. A., Simon, M., & Liberatore, F. (2024). The impact of online labor platforms on workforce management in health care. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 14. https://doi.org/10.2196/68546
- Sun, P., & Chen, J. (2021). Platform labour and contingent agency in China. China Perspectives, 2021, 19–27. https://doi.org/10.4000/chinaperspectives.11325
- Sun, P., Chen, J. Y., & Rani, U. (2021). From flexible labour to 'sticky labour': A tracking study of workers in the food-delivery platform economy of China. Work, Employment and Society, 37, 412–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170211021570
- Sun, Y. (2025). Mathematical and statistical analysis of gig work in the platform economy. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences. https://doi.org/10.54254/2754-1169/2025.cau27208
- Waldkirch, M., Bucher, E., Schou, P., & Grünwald, E. (2021). Controlled by the algorithm, coached by the crowd – how HRM activities take shape on digital work platforms in the gig economy. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32, 2643–2682. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.1914129
- Williams, P., McDonald, P., & Mayes, R. (2021). Recruitment in the gig economy: Attraction and selection on digital platforms. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32, 4136–4162. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1867613
Similar Articles
- Susana Dewi, Firmansyah Firmansyah, Herlina Herlina, Sri Intan Purnama, Anatasya Mawardiah, The Influence Of Regional Financial Management Information System, The Role Of Internal Auditors And Human Resources Competence On The Quality Of Financial Statements Of Lebak Regency Government , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024): Oikonomia-December
- Adisti Maharani Krisna, E-Commerce and Digital Economy: An Analysis of Changing Consumption Patterns and Their Impact on Economic Growth , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2025): Oikonomia - May
- Muhammad Umar A, Digital Economic Revolution: The Role of Internet of Things (IoT) And Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Business Management and Accounting , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Oikonomia-February
- Muhamad Syarifin Arif, Abd. Azis Muthalib , Nofal Supriaddin, The Effectiveness of Facilities and Infrastructure Management in Improving Employee Performance at the Human Resources Development Agency of Southeast Sulawesi Province , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025): Oikonomia-August
- Ummy Kalsum, Hendra Cipta, Digital Financial Behavior in a Cashless Society: A Study of Changes in Consumption Patterns , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): Oikonomia - May
- Sujoko Sujoko, Organizational Agility-Oriented Management as a Response to the Dynamics of the Business Environment , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): Oikonomia - February
- Baihaqi Baihaqi, Strategic Decisions Without Humans? The Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Management and Accounting , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): Oikonomia - February
- Suharyanto Suharyanto, Consumer Behavior in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Changes in Consumption Patterns from a Behavioral Economics Perspective , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): Oikonomia - May
- Delfian zaman, Wildan Khotami, Mohd. Ideal Kurniawan, Afrina oktoberia, The Impact Of Digitalization On Changes In Public Consumption Behavior In The Digital Economy Era , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024): Oikonomia-December
- Lizabeth sari dewi, ABD Haris, Nita Priska Ambarita, Muhammad Hirsan Hanafi, Public Perception of Circular Economy Implementation in Household Waste Management , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 1 (2024): Oikonomia-December
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Effiyaldi Effiyaldi, Setyowati Subroto, Maulid Sakaria, Hybrid Working: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Employee Performance in the Age of Flexible Working , Oikonomia : Journal of Management Economics and Accounting: Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Oikonomia-February