Adapting to the New World of Work: The Role of Boundary-Setting Strategies

Technological advancements, changing work patterns, and the need for more flexible employment options have given rise to gig work (Petriglieri et al., Administrative Science Quarterly, 64(1):124–170, 2019). Gig workers engage in externalized paid work organized around projects or tasks that are typically limited in time, without holding a formal appointment within a particular organization (Caza et al., Human Relations, 75(11):2122–2159, 2022). Studies estimate that gig workers represent around 14 percent of the workforce in OECD countries and will continue to rise in the decades to come (OECD, Employment outlook 2019: The future of work, OECD Publishing, 2019). Research showed that workers face multiple challenges in the gig economy, including viability, identity, relational, emotional, and career-related challenges (Caza et al., Human Relations, 75(11):2122–2159, 2022). These challenges underscore the need for building resilience to respond to setbacks. Prior research highlighted various strategies that help workers cope with their challenges, with less attention paid to workers’ distancing strategies, that is, strategies aimed at creating psychological, emotional, or physical space from targets to enhance workers’ resilience and face the challenges of the gig economy. In this chapter, we adopt a boundary theory lens (Langley et al., Academy of Management Annals, 13(2):704–736, 2019) and review the nascent body of research on gig work to highlight workers’ distancing strategies through setting boundaries to build resilience and mitigate the challenges of the gig economy. We conclude by outlining a future research agenda aimed at enhancing our understanding of the new world of work.