From agility to performance: the mediating role of self-leadership among gig workers in India

Abstract

Purpose This study investigates whether self-leadership mediates the relationship between workforce agility and work performance among gig workers in India, a labour market projected to encompass 23.5 million platform workers by 2030. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected from 248 active gig workers across India - spanning food delivery, ride-hailing, freelancing, home services, and e-commerce - using a structured 17-item, seven-point Likert scale questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4, supplemented by SPSS 25, was used for analysis. Findings Workforce agility significantly predicted self-leadership (ß = 0.594, p < 0.001), and self-leadership significantly predicted work performance (ß = 0.565, p < 0.001). The direct effect of workforce agility on work performance was non-significant (ß = 0.051, p = 0.402), while the indirect effect through self-leadership was significant (ß = 0.335, p < 0.001), confirming full mediation. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design and purposive sampling limit causal inference and generalisability. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and objective platform performance data. Practical implications Platform firms should invest in in-app goal-setting tools, performance dashboards, and self-leadership development modules. Policymakers should treat gig worker capability development as a productive economic investment. Social implications With 23.5 million gig workers projected in India by 2030, cultivating self-leadership capacity carries significant implications for worker earnings, economic sustainability, and labour market equity. Originality/value This study is among the first to empirically examine self-leadership as a mediating mechanism in the gig work context. It extends Strategic Human Capital Theory beyond traditional organisational boundaries to a new empirical context - platform-based employment- and empirically tests and validates the agility–self-leadership–performance pathway, and provides rare quantitative evidence on the psychological drivers of gig worker performance in an emerging economy.