Stoicism as a Conceptual Coping Strategy for Gig Workers: A Literature Review
Keywords:
Gig Workers gig economy psychological well-being coping strategies stoicism resilienceAbstract
Across diverse gig sectors—including transportation, household services, digital freelancing, and online marketplace sellers—recent studies reveal a universal pattern of precarious work: volatile income, opaque algorithmic control, dependence on customer ratings, social isolation, and self-borne risks and costs. These recurring conditions contribute to significant psychological strain among gig workers in Indonesia and across Asia. Stoic philosophy, however, offers a coherent framework for coping with such instability through principles that emphasize the dichotomy of control, rational acceptance of uncontrollable events (amor fati), and cultivation of an inner citadel of resilience. Contemporary psychological literature further connects Stoicism with established approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions. Using a conceptual literature-review approach, this study maps Stoic principles—aretē, the dichotomy of control, premeditatio malorum, prosoche, and oikeiōsis—as coping strategies for the psychological and social challenges of gig work. For instance, the dichotomy of control provides a framework for managing uncertainty in job allocation and ratings, while premeditatio malorum prepares workers mentally for abrupt algorithmic shifts. The synthesis highlights that Stoic self-regulation naturally extends toward altruistic resilience and social solidarity (oikeiōsis), aligning with peer-based coping and collective efficacy. The unique contribution of this study lies in advancing Stoicism as a novel conceptual pathway for coping in the gig economy—complementing existing strategies rooted in peer support and traditional spirituality, and setting an agenda for future empirical and policy-oriented inquiry.
References
Al Ayyubi, M. S., & Asrofi, D. A. N. (2024). Vulnerability And Well-Being Of The Gig Economy Workers. Proceedings of National Conference West Java Economic Society, 1(01), 205. Alacovska, A., Bucher, E., & Fieseler, C. (2024). Algorithmic Paranoia: Gig Workers’ Affective Experience of Abusive Algorithmic Management. New Technology, Work and Employment, ntwe.12317. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12317 Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004 Annas, J. (1995). The morality of happiness (1. issued as paperback). Oxford Univ. Press. Annazah, N. S., Tobing, H., Nasution, F. A. P., & Muhyiddin, M. (2023). Kondisi Kerja dalam Relasi Kemitraan: Studi Kasus pada Mitra Perusahaan Transportasi Online. Jurnal Ketenagakerjaan, 18(3), 198–212. https://doi.org/10.47198/jnaker.v18i3.305 Antunes, E. D., Bridi, L. R. T., Santos, M., & Fischer, F. M. (2023). Part-time or full-time teleworking? A systematic review of the psychosocial risk factors of telework from home. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1065593. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1065593 Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1997). A stitch in time: Self-regulation and proactive coping. Psychological Bulletin, 121(3), 417–436. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.121.3.417 Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. Penguin Publishing Group. Benita, M., Benish-Weisman, M., Matos, L., & Torres, C. (2020). Integrative and suppressive emotion regulation differentially predict well-being through basic need satisfaction and frustration: A test of three countries. Motivation and Emotion, 44(1), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019 09781-x Bérastégui, P. (2021). Exposure to psychosocial risk factors in the gig economy: A systematic review. European Trade Union Institute. Chen, H., Richard, O. C., Boncoeur, O. D., & Ford Jr., D. L. (2020). Work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and counterproductive work behavior. Journal of Business Research, 114, 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.03.025
Cropanzano, R., Keplinger, K., Lambert, B. K., Caza, B., & Ashford, S. J. (2023). The organizational psychology of gig work: An integrative conceptual review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(3), 492–519. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001029 Epictetus. The Enchiridion of Epictetus (E. Carter, Trans.). Wilder Publications, LLC. Glavin, P., & Schieman, S. (2022). Dependency and Hardship in the Gig Economy: The Mental Health Consequences of Platform Work. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 8, 23780231221082414. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231221082414 Griesbach, K., Reich, A., Elliott-Negri, L., & Milkman, R. (2019). Algorithmic Control in Platform Food Delivery Work. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 5, 2378023119870041. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023119870041 Gross, J. J. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of emotion regulation (Second edition, paperback edition). The Guilford Press. Hadot, P. (2001). Philosophy as a way of life: Spiritual exercises from Socrates to Foucault (A. I. Davidson, Ed.; M. Chase, Trans.; Reprint). Blackwell. Hirsch, C., von Bülow, C., & Simpson, P. (2023). Stoicism, philosophy as a way of life and Negative Capability: Developing a capacity for working in radical uncertainty. Leadership, 19(5), 393– 412. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427150231178092 Hobfoll, S. E., Halbesleben, J., Neveu, J.-P., & Westman, M. (2018). Conservation of Resources in the Organizational Context: The Reality of Resources and Their Consequences. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5(Volume 5, 2018), 103–128. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104640 Huta, V., & Ryan, R. M. (2010). Pursuing Pleasure or Virtue: The Differential and Overlapping Well Being Benefits of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(6), 735 762. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-009-9171-4 ILO. (2018, September 20). Digital labour platforms and the future of work: Towards decent work in the online world | International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/publications/digital labour-platforms-and-future-work-towards-decent-work-online-world ILO. (2021, February 23). The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work | International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/publications/flagship-reports/role digital-labour-platforms-transforming-world-work Kadolkar, I., Kepes, S., & Subramony, M. (2025). Algorithmic management in the gig economy: A systematic review and research integration. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 46(7), 1057 1080. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2831 Kalleberg, A. L. (2018). Job Insecurity And Well-Being In Rich Democracies. The Economic and Social Review, 49(3), 241–258. Kavčič, T., Avsec, A., & Zager Kocjan, G. (2022). Coping profiles and their association with psychological functioning: A latent profile analysis of coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Personality and https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111287 Individual Differences, 185.
Kellogg, K. C., Valentine, M. A., & Christin, A. (2020). Algorithms at Work: The New Contested Terrain Control. Academy of Management Annals, 14(1), 366–410. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2018.0174 Kusumadewi, F. A., Paskarini, I., & Khairunnisa, A. M. (2023). Demographic Characteristics and Locus of Control Associated with Employee Burnout. The Indonesian Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 12(1), 74–83. https://doi.org/10.20473/ijosh.v12i1.2023.74-83 Lang, J. J., Yang, L. F., Cheng, C., Cheng, X. Y., & Chen, F. Y. (2023). Are algorithmically controlled gig workers deeply burned out? An empirical study on employee work engagement. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 354. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01402-0 Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company. Lee, M. K., Kusbit, D., Metsky, E., & Dabbish, L. (2015). Working with Machines: The Impact of Algorithmic and Data-Driven Management on Human Workers. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1603–1612. https://doi.org/10.1145/2702123.2702548 Long, A. A., & Sedley, D. N. (1987). The Hellenistic Philosophers (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139165907 Matilla-Santander, N., Lundh, F., Kvart, S., Baron, S. L., Bodin, T., Gevaert, J., Håkansta, C., Hernando, J. C., Muntaner, C., & Kreshpaj, B. (2025). What is known about the health of location-based and online web-based digital labour platform workers? A scoping review of the literature. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 2635. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23916-5 Mdhluli, N. I. (2025). Perils of perpetual connectivity: Navigating the ‘always-on’ culture in the modern workplace. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 23, a3019. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v23i0.3019 Meng, C., Zhao, M., Pan, Z., Pan, Q., & Bonk, C. J. (2024). Investigating the impact of gamification components on online learners’ engagement. Smart Learning Environments, 11(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00336-3 Muhyiddin, M., Annazah, N. S., Henriko Tobing, H., Habibi, N., Fauziyah, F., & Harsiwie, R. I. P. (2024). The Ambiguity of Employment Relationship in Indonesia’s Gig Economy: A Study of Online Motorcycle Taxi Drivers. Jurnal Ketenagakerjaan, 19(3), 262–280. https://doi.org/10.47198/jnaker.v19i3.416 Robertson, D. (2020). The philosophy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT): Stoic philosophy as rational and cognitive psychotherapy (Second edition). Routledge. Rosenblat, A., & Stark, L. (2016). Algorithmic labor and information asymmetries: A case study of Uber’s drivers. International Journal of Communication, 10. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68
Seery, M. D., Holman, E. A., & Silver, R. C. (2010). Whatever does not kill us: Cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(6), 1025–1041. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021344 Sheldon, K. M. (2016). Putting Eudaimonia in Its Place. In J. Vittersø (Ed.), Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being (pp. 531–541). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319 42445-3_36 Siregar, I., & Panjaitan, N. (2025). Work Support and Resilience: Mediating Roles of Stress and Health Among Indonesian Gig Workers. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 4051–4064. https://doi.org/10.37641/jimkes.v13i5.4060 Srnicek, N. (2019). Platform capitalism (Reprinted). Polity. Tang, Y.-Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916 Tobing, H. (2024). The Gig Economy Dilemma: Exploring Alternatives to Create Decent Work for Online Motorcycle Taxi Drivers in Indonesia. Jurnal Ketenagakerjaan, 19(2), 168–183. https://doi.org/10.47198/jnaker.v19i2.340 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 Van Zoonen, W., Treem, J. W., & Sivunen, A. E. (2025). Algorithmic control and work frustration in crowdwork: A case of autonomy suppression and connectivity compulsion. European Management Journal, S026323732500074X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2025.05.001 Vignola, E. F., Baron, S., Abreu Plasencia, E., Hussein, M., & Cohen, N. (2023). Workers’ Health under Algorithmic Management: Emerging Findings and Urgent Research Questions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021239 Vittersø, J., & Søholt, Y. (2011). Life satisfaction goes with pleasure and personal growth goes with interest: Further arguments for separating hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(4), 326–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2011.584548 Wang, S., Li, L. Z., & Coutts, A. (2022). National survey of mental health and life satisfaction of gig workers: The role of loneliness and financial precarity. BMJ Open, 12(12), e066389. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066389 Wendra, W., Siregar, D. D., & Abd Samad, K. (2024). The truth about thriving gig workers: Why job demands and coping mechanisms are not enough? JEMA: Jurnal Ilmiah Bidang Akuntansi Dan Manajemen, 21(2), 227–259. https://doi.org/10.31106/jema.v21i2.22690 Wilski, M., Chmielewski, B., & Tomczak, M. (2015). Work locus of control and burnout in Polish physiotherapists: The mediating effect of coping styles. https://doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00287 Wittmann, M., Montemayor, C., & Dorato, M. (2025). Stoicism, mindfulness, and the brain: The empirical foundations of second-order desires. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1569237
Wong, S. I., Kost, D., & Fieseler, C. (2021). From crafting what you do to building resilience for career commitment in the gig economy. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(4), 918–935. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12342 Wood, A. J., Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., & Hjorth, I. (2019). Good Gig, Bad Gig: Autonomy and Algorithmic Control in the Global Gig Economy. Work, Employment and Society, 33(1), 56–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017018785616 Xie, X., Zhou, Y., Fang, J., & Ying, G. (2022). Social Support, Mindfulness, and Job Burnout of Social Workers in China. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.775679 Zhang, L., Yang, J., Zhang, Y., & Xu, G. (2023). Gig worker’s perceived algorithmic management, stress appraisal, and destructive deviant behavior. PLOS ONE, 18(11), e0294074. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294074
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Indonesia Forum on Labour and Productivity
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.