HomeJournal of Interdisciplinary Perspectivesvol. 3 no. 8 (2025)

Bibliometric Analysis on the Emergence of the Gig Economy

Allen Grace M. Sarmiento

Discipline: social sciences (non-specific)

 

Abstract:

The research aims to enhance the understanding of the gig economy through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Utilizing co-citation and co-occurrence techniques, this study seeks to identify key articles, prominent topics, and emerging trends within the field. The objective is to provide valuable insights for researchers as well as practical guidance for policymakers and organizations aiming to engage effectively with the gig economy. The analysis draws upon data from the Scopus database, which includes a robust dataset of peer-reviewed journal articles, ensuring the reliability of the findings. The study highlights three primary research clusters: the theoretical foundations of the gig economy, the digital platforms and precarious aspects of gig work, and the lived experiences and power dynamics within gig employment. Key emerging topics identified include the relationship between technology and jobs, the realities of gig employment, innovation and entrepreneurial strategies, and traditional employment factors in the gig economy. The findings indicate that while the gig economy has significant transformative potential, there is an urgent need to redesign traditional employment strategies to ensure equitable benefits for all participants. In conclusion, the gig economy presents a complex interplay of technology, innovation, and human factors. Future research should delve deeper into these dimensions to maximize opportunities while addressing the inherent challenges. Achieving a balanced approach will be essential for fostering an inclusive and sustainable gig workforce moving forward.



References:

  1. ACS Publications. (2021). Data visualization. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsguide.60114    
  2. Anderson, M., McClain, C., Faverio, M., & Gelles-Watnick, R. (2021). Americans’ experiences earning money through online gig platforms. Pew Research Center. https://tinyurl.com/4we327fh 
  3. Anderson, M., McClain, C., Faverio, M., & Gelles-Watnick, R. (2021). The state of gig work in 2021. Pew Research Center. https://tinyurl.com/bde6ev5t 
  4. Anwar, M. A., & Graham, M. (2020). Hidden transcripts of the gig economy: labour agency and the new art of resistance among African gig workers. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 52(7), 1269–1291. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X19894584 
  5. Ashford, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Reid, E. M. (2018). From surviving to thriving in the gig economy: A research agenda for individuals in the new world of work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, 23–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2018.11.001 
  6. Bergvall‐Kåreborn, B., & Howcroft, D. (2014). Amazon Mechanical Turk and the commodification of labour. New technology, work and employment, 29(3), 213-223. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12038 
  7. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa 
  8. Burawoy, M. (2012). Manufacturing consent: Changes in the labor process under monopoly capitalism. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7202/029144ar 
  9. Burtch, G., Carnahan, S., & Greenwood, B. N. (2018). Can you gig it? An empirical examination of the gig economy and entrepreneurial activity. Management science, 64(12), 5497–5520. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2916 
  10. Cant, C. (2019). Riding for Deliveroo: Resistance in the new economy. John Wiley & Sons. https://tinyurl.com/y5yuftxs 
  11. Cappelli, P., & Keller, J. R. (2013). Classifying work in the new economy. Academy of Management Review, 38(4), 575–596. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2011.0302 
  12. Churchill, B., & Craig, L. (2019). Gender in the gig economy: Men and women using digital platforms to secure work in Australia. Journal of Sociology, 55(4), 741–761. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783319894060 
  13. Cygal, K., Gilliland, M., Hannibal, E., & Stirling, E. (2021). Remote work: the road to the future. Deloitte. https://tinyurl.com/bdz3u6u3 
  14. Pandey, D., Hassan, M., Kumari, V., Zaied, Y., & Rai, V. (2024). Mapping the landscape of FinTech in banking and finance: A bibliometric review. Research in International Business and Finance, 67, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2023.102116     
  15. Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070 
  16. Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R., & McDonnell, A. (2020). Algorithmic management and app‐work in the gig economy: A research agenda for employment relations and HRM. Human resource management journal, 30(1), 114–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12258 
  17. Dunn, M. (2020). Making gigs work: digital platforms, job quality and worker motivations. New Technology, Work and Employment, 35(2), 232–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12167 
  18. Elder, S. & Viegelahn, C. (2022). Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook: Rethinking sectoral strategies for a human-centered future of work. International Labour Organization. https://doi.org/10.54394/EQNI6264    
  19. European Parliament. (2024). Gig economy: how the EU improves platform workers’ rights. https://tinyurl.com/88tk2p6u 
  20. Flanagan, F. (2019). Theorising the gig economy and home-based service work. Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(1), 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022185618800518 
  21. Fleming, P. (2017). The human capital hoax: Work, debt, and insecurity in the era of Uberization. Organization Studies, 38(5), 691–709. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616686129 
  22. Friedman, G. (2014). Workers without employers: shadow corporations and the rise of the gig economy. Review of Keynesian Economics, 2(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.4337/roke.2014.02.03 
  23. Gandini, A. (2019). Labour process theory and the gig economy. Human relations, 72(6), 1039–1056. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726718790002 
  24. Graham, M., Hjorth, I., & Lehdonvirta, V. (2017). Digital labour and development: Impacts of global digital labour platforms and the gig economy on worker livelihoods. Transfer: European review of labour and research, 23(2), 135-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/1024258916687250 
  25. Graham, M., & Woodcock, J. (2019). The gig economy: a critical introduction. Polity, 54. https://acdc2007.free.fr/woodcock2020.pdf 
  26. Gray, M. L., & Suri, S. (2019). Ghost work: How to stop Silicon Valley from building a new global underclass. Harper Business. https://sarkoups.free.fr/gray2019.pdf 
  27. Howcroft, D., & Bergvall-Kåreborn, B. (2019). A typology of crowdwork platforms. Work, employment and society, 33(1), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017018760136 
  28. Hwang, J. (2024). The gig economy and its effect on the labor market. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 13(1), 3394–3404. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2024.13.1.1231    
  29. Kalleberg, A. L. (2009). Precarious work, insecure workers: Employment relations in transition. American sociological review, 74(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240907400101 
  30. Kenney, M., & Zysman, J. (2016). The rise of the platform economy. Issues in science and technology, 32(3), 61. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3739588 
  31. Manyika, J., Lund, S., Bughin, J., Robinson, K., Mischke, J., & Mahajan, D. (2016). Independent work: choice, necessity, and the gig economy. McKinsey & Company. https://tinyurl.com/2kymszp 
  32. Manyika, J., Lund, S., Robinson, K., Valentino, J., & Dobbs, R. (2015). A labor market that works: connecting talent with opportunity in the digital age. McKinsey Global Institute. https://tinyurl.com/42m3cjr5 
  33. Pasricha, M., Thakur, V., & Ghosh, D. (2024). The future of work, artificial intelligence, and digital government: policy perspectives for Asia. ADB Institute. https://tinyurl.com/bdfwaxtd 
  34. Prassl, J. (2018). Humans as a service: The promise and perils of work in the gig economy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198797012.001.0001 
  35. Rani, U. & Furrer, M. (2020). Digital labour platforms and new forms of flexible work in developing countries: algorithmic management of work and workers. Sage Journals, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529420905187     
  36. Ravenelle, A. J. (2019). Hustle and gig: Struggling and surviving in the sharing economy. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2020.1772339 
  37. Rosenblat, A. (2018). Uberland: How algorithms are rewriting the rules of work. Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022185619875363 
  38. Rosenblat, A., & Stark, L. (2016). Algorithmic labor and information asymmetries: A case study of Uber’s drivers. International journal of communication, 10, 27. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/4892 
  39. Schmidt, F. A. (2017). Digital labour markets in the platform economy: Mapping the political challenges of crowd work and gig work. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/wiso/13164.pdf 
  40. Scholz, T. (2017). Uberworked and underpaid: How workers are disrupting the digital economy. John Wiley & Sons. http://pombo.free.fr/treborscholz.pdf 
  41. Schwellnus, C., Geva, A., Pak, M., & Veiel, R. (2019). Gig economy platforms: boon or bane? OECD Economics Department Working Papers No. 1550. https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/fdb0570b-en     
  42. Shapiro, A. (2018). Between autonomy and control: Strategies of arbitrage in the “on-demand” economy. New media & society, 20(8), 2954–2971. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817738236 
  43. Singh, M. (2024). The 2008 Financial crisis explained. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/09/financial-crisis-review.asp    
  44. Small, H. (1973). Co-citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 24(4), 265–269.   
  45. Srnicek, N. (2018). Platform Capitalism, 2017. Open WorldCat. https://search.worldcat.org/title/973870650 
  46. Stanford, J. (2017). The resurgence of gig work: Historical and theoretical perspectives. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 28(3), 382–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/1035304617724303 
  47. Statista Research Department. (2024). Gig economy projected gross volume 2018-2023. Statista. https://tinyurl.com/dc2dmyj 
  48. Sundararajan, A. (2017). The sharing economy: The end of employment and the rise of crowd-based capitalism. MIT press. https://tinyurl.com/y5bj99r5 
  49. Tassinari, A., & Maccarrone, V. (2020). Riders on the storm: Workplace solidarity among gig economy couriers in Italy and the UK. Work, employment and society, 34(1), 35-54.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017019862954  
  50. TransUnion. (2024). More than one-third of gig workers rely on gig work as primary source of income. https://tinyurl.com/yn8tz5k8 
  51. Van Doorn, N. (2017). Platform labor: on the gendered and racialized exploitation of low-income service work in the ‘on-demand ‘economy. Information, communication & society, 20(6), 898-914. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1294194 
  52. van Eck, N.J., & Waltman, L. (2020). VOSviewer manual. Leiden: Univeristeit Leiden. https://www.vosviewer.com/documentation/Manual_VOSviewer_1.6.20.pdf 
  53. Vallas, S., & Schor, J. B. (2020). What do platforms do? Understanding the gig economy. Annual review of sociology, 46(1), 273–294. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-121919-054857 
  54. Veen, A., Barratt, T., & Goods, C. (2020). Platform-capital’s ‘app-etite’for control: A labour process analysis of food-delivery work in Australia. Work, employment and society, 34(3), 388–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017019836911 
  55. Weil, D. (2014). The fissured workplace: Why work became so bad for so many and what can be done to improve it. In The fissured workplace. Harvard University Press. Retrieved from https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674975446 
  56. Wood, A. J., Lehdonvirta, V., & Graham, M. (2018). Workers of the Internet unite? Online freelancer organisation among remote gig economy workers in six Asian and African countries. New Technology, Work and Employment, 33(2), 95-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12112 
  57. Woodcock, J., & Graham, M. (2020). The Gig Economy: A Critical Introduction. Polity. http://acdc2007.free.fr/woodcock2020.pdf 
  58. Yan, C., Zhu, H., Korolko, N., & Woodard, D. (2019). Dynamic pricing and matching in ride-hailing platforms. Naval Research Logistics, 67(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.21872 
  59. Ye, T., Ai, W., Chen, Y., Mei, Q., Ye, J., & Zhang, L. (2022). Virtual teams in a gig economy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 119(51) e2206580119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2206580119    
  60. Zapanta, T. (2025). The gig economy: a liquid workforce. Microsourcing. https://www.microsourcing.com/learn/blog/the-gig-economy-a-liquid-workforce/      
  61. Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power, edn. PublicAffairs, New York. https://tinyurl.com/3pyvhsvw