Cut me some slack! An exploration of slack resources and technology-mediated human capital investments in entrepreneurship

PurposeIn this paper, the authors explore the relationship that slack resources and technology-mediated human capital investments can have on individuals’ entrepreneurial intentions. Focusing on human capital investments that individuals make through education and work, the authors analyze the relationship among formal online learning opportunities, informal skill development in the gig economy and entrepreneurial intentions.Design/methodology/approach Leveraging a novel dataset that merges administrative tax data with a survey of over 8,528 low- and moderate income (LMI) households, this study uses machine learning and propensity score weighting to examine the likelihood that individuals who make these technology-mediated human capital investments will have increased odds of entrepreneurial intentions when compared to similar individuals who do not make these investments.Findings The authors find that both partaking in online learning and working in the gig economy are significantly associated with increased odds of entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, through a variety of robustness and mechanism checks, the authors find that technology-mediation is an important factor in these relationships and that informal skill development and career preparation is one way in which gig employment influences entrepreneurial intentions.Research limitations/implications As the study’s data come from a cross-sectional survey, the authors cannot make causal inferences about the relationship between online learning, gig employment and entrepreneurial intentions. Thus, future research should explore sources of longitudinal data.Practical implications This study has practical implication for individuals and policymakers that seek to increase entrepreneurship among LMI households.Originality/value Despite a wealth of research on the relationships among slack resources, technology and innovation at the firm level, there is little of this research at the individual level – especially among LMI individuals. The authors begin to fill this important gap.

Sustaining India's Gig Economy in Industry 4.0

Today's corporate landscape is undergoing a transformation process, and India is not untouched by these phases of transition as humans are replaced by computers and brick-and-mortar firms are substituted by e-commerce companies. In the midst of these shifts, issues such as labour dynamics have changed dramatically. One such consequence is the Gig Economy. With the gradual improvement in the labour market and the focus of government on localisation, it remains important to analyse the widespread influence of growing gig culture in making India a self-reliant economy. This chapter of the book therefore seeks to review the different components of the gig economy along with the advantages and disadvantages and how gig can contribute towards a localised and self-reliant Indian economy. The chapter also evaluates the regulatory framework of the gig economy in India. The chapter also proposes a conceptual model incorporating various pillars that could serve as an analytical framework for the rapidly increasing number of concepts and policy proposals.

Vielfalt in der Arbeitswelt

Anyone involved in occupational science or diversity management will notice that diversity in the world of work is being perceived and analysed in an increasingly nuanced way. This involves various dimensions of diversity in different functions, company sizes and industries. This volume brings together various contributions, all of which deal with diversity in the world of work. They address unconscious bias in personnel selection, introverts in leadership situations, sensation seekers in organisations, the motivation of employees in the gig economy, female leaders in middle management, and diversity as an organisational imperative.

Motivations for Labour Provision on Digital Platforms in Europe

Research on the gig economy has rarely addressed the study on the motivations for the provision of labour services on digital platforms. Through a sample of 3,619 gigers in Europe, obtained from the COLLEM research, results have been obtained for labour providers (only gigers) and for labour and capital use providers (gigers and renters). The valuation of labour, being an internal resource of the gigers, has a great set of economic foundations, working conditions, and labour relations. On the other hand, the valuation of labour and capital uses is more focused on their economic and labour relations fundamentals, notably reducing the role of working conditions. These motivations suggest different platform strategies and public employment policies for both groups. While the promotion of the general job quality would also encourage the gig-job quality, the promotion of the labour and capital uses valuation requires specific actions on the platform operations.