Exploring the reasons for participation in the gig economy and the effect of job insecurity on job satisfaction according to economic earnings

The adoption of virtual, temporary, flexible working conditions in the world socio-economic conjuncture and the search for alternative forms of work for employees, especially in times of crisis, has led to the emergence of the gig economy. Gig economy is defined as the temporary, flexible and short-term working style of employees without being tied to an organization. Despite the recent intensification of studies on the gig economy in the academic literature, according to national/international evaluations, studies on this field are at the initial level. First of all, there is uncertainty about the factors that affect employees' participation in the gig economy. On the other hand, although there are many studies on the job insecurity of gig workers, the number of studies on the indirect or direct impact of gig working method on motivation or job satisfaction within the scope of wage and promotion opportunities has remained quite limited. Moreover, in the context of Job Demands and Resources Theory (JD-R), assessments of employees' demands and resources in the gig market become important for a sustainable labor market. The study aims to explore the reasons for participation in the gig economy and to reveal the moderating effect of wage and promotion opportunities and the mediating effect of motivation on the effect of job insecurity on job satisfaction. In line with the objectives stated in the study, convergent design and parallel data type from the mixed research method were used. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained, analyzed and brought together at the conclusion stage. The qualitative research phase was based on case study and the quantitative research phase was based on structural equation modeling. Data were obtained through individual interviews with 17 people, focus group discussions with 5 people and questionnaires with 411 people from across Turkey. The data were analyzed with QSR Nvivo 10 and SmartPLS 3.3.2 package programs. In terms of the reasons for participation in the gig economy, economic gain was emphasized the most. When the effect of job insecurity on job satisfaction was analyzed, surprisingly, no direct relationship was found. However, when the moderating variables of wage and promotion opportunities and motivation were included in the model, it was found that there was a significant relationship between job insecurity and job satisfaction. In this context, it has emerged that working conditions in the gig economy need to be updated in line with the Job Demands and Resources Theory (JD-R).