Discussion and Analysis of the Gig Economy

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Discussion and Analysis
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Discussion and Analysis
Gig economy is a labour market of today in which individuals prefer to work as
freelancers. A freelancer, according to this research, is someone who works independently
and can have a freedom of choosing what to do at any given time. Today, many people are
not interested in long time engagements. The respondents in the research recounted that
formal long-time contracts are losing popularity because many people no longer consider
them viable. Gig economy is what many people prefer today because of the changing
dynamics in the labour market. Although there are some people who re reluctant to embrace
it, generally, the responses acknowledged that gig economy is a trend that should be watched
keenly because it transforms and will continue transforming the labour market. That is why
almost all of the respondents recounted that they know something about it.
According to the respondents, gig economy gives people an opportunity to engage in
contractual work. A contract, as explained by the respondents, is an arrangement in which
individuals work for a shorter duration before he agreement comes to an end. In a gig
economy, people do not have to be bound to one particular organization or stick with the
employer for a long time. Instead, what happens is that they are free to negotiate for a deal r
an arrangement that does not unnecessarily have to last for a long time. The ideas expressed
by these respondents resonate with what is in research. Published literature reviewed had
illustrated that the gig economy gives individuals a chance to negotiate for short-term deals
that might involve just one simple task or a few more tasks that are supposed to be completed
within the shortest time possible (Manyika, Lund, Bughin, Robinson, Mischke & Mahajan
2016). That is right because it is exactly what happens in a gig economy in which individuals
choose whom to work whenever they feel it necessary to do so. For example, a freelance
journalist might choose to do gigs for an organization or a media house. Such gigs can end at
any time as long as there is an agreement between the company and the individual journalist.

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The research revealed that gig economy has been appealing to many people because it
offers a high-degree of flexibility to the workers. The respondents recounted that they prefer
the gig economy to formal employment because it is the most flexible labour arrangement in
the market. In their understanding, the respondents believe that gig economy gives people an
opportunity to enjoy flexibility because it gives them powers t chose what to do at any given
time. In a formal employment arrangement, there is no flexibility at all. Once one gets a
formal employment, one has to stick by a strict schedule that dictates the kinds of activities to
be done at any time. This view is shared with the literature that had been reviewed by the
researcher. The literature supports the flexibility of the gig economy. It explains how, under
gig economy, individuals are able to operate flexibly and even juggle between different jobs
(De Stefano 2015). The respondents agree that it is only in a gig economy where people are
able to be as flexible as they can. That argument holds water because it shows exactly what
happens in the economy. The truth is that short-time contracts do not bind people and compel
to tem to work for only one organization at a time. Instead, it is true that, under such an
arrangement, one is able to work in a flexible environment which does not restrict their
movements and aggression.
Information from the respondents established that many people are getting attracted to
the gig economy because it gives workers an opportunity to be some freedom. As clearly
outlined by the respondents, workers who engage in a gig economy have a freedom to operate
the way they want. This happens because they are not subject to control by the employer. A
freelance journalist, for instance, has a high-degree of freedom because he or she operates in
a free environment in which there is no one to control him or her. This differs from the
formal job arrangement in which one has to be under a strict control and supervision of the
bosses. That is a right observation because it shows exactly what happens in the economy.