Platform Fairness and Sustainable Employment in the Gig Economy: A Mixed Methods Study on Work Engagement Mediation
Keywords:
Gig economy platform fairness work engagement sustainable employment mixed methodsAbstract
The gig economy in Indonesia has grown rapidly, particularly in the online transportation sector, yet its workers continue to face persistent challenges related to platform fairness, work engagement, and sustainable employment. This study aims to examine the influence of platform fairness on sustainable employment through the mediating role of work engagement among ride-hailing drivers in Makassar City. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed, involving a quantitative survey of 100 respondents analyzed using PLS-SEM, followed by in-depth interviews with 12 participants to enrich the interpretation. Quantitative findings reveal that platform fairness positively affects work engagement, while work engagement significantly contributes to sustainable employment. However, platform fairness does not directly influence sustainable employment, instead operating indirectly through work engagement. Qualitative results reinforce these findings, showing that although platform fairness is perceived as relatively adequate, issues remain regarding order distribution, income instability, and limited social protection. Drivers maintain high engagement levels due to family motivation, time flexibility, and adaptive coping strategies. The study’s novelty lies in identifying work engagement as a crucial psychological pathway linking platform fairness to sustainable employment. Theoretically, it extends the Job Demands–Resources Model to the gig economy context, while practically offering insights for platform management and policymakers in promoting fair and sustainable digital labor systems.
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