The Effect of Gig Workers’ Perceived Occupational Stigma on the Turnover Intention

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of digital technology and the gig economy, the amount of gig workers, represented by takeaway riders and taxi drivers, has been increasing. Meanwhile, the flexibility of the “entry and exit” principle has led gig workers a highly mobile group. However, the gig workers represented by takeaway riders are also subject to increasingly serious social prejudice and criticism, and face enormous human capital challenges. To foster sustainable growth of the gig economy, this paper conducted a questionnaire survey on 276 gig workers. Based on the findings: ①Perceived occupational stigma of gig workers positively affects their turnover intention. ②The occupational identity of gig workers mediates the association between the perceived occupational stigma and the turnover intention. ③The mediating role of occupational identity is moderated by the perceived job significance, but not by the sense of self-efficacy.