CLIENT FEEDBACK AND FREELANCER PERFORMANCE QUALITY IN THE DIGITAL GIG ECONOMY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF COMMUNICATION QUALITY

Abstract

This research aims to study the effect of client feedback on the performance quality of freelancers in the gig economy in the digital world, as a mediator (self-efficacy) and as a moderator (communication quality) based on the Social Cognitive Theory. A quantitative explanatory research design was used, where data was gathered by using a structured cross sectional survey that was given to the freelancers active in digital work platforms with 201 valid questionnaires out of 234 returned. This measurement model was evaluated for reliability and validity through the Cronbach's Alpha, Composite Reliability, and Average Variance Extracted, while the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping using 5,000 resamples was used for the direct, mediating and moderating relationship test of the structural model. The results showed that client feedback had a significant positive impact on the freelancer's performance quality (β = 0.451, p < 0.001), and self-efficacy had a significant positive impact on the performance quality (β = 0.488, p < 0.001) and partially mediated the relationship between client feedback and performance quality (β = 0.298, p < 0.001). The client feedback – performance quality relationship was also found to be significantly moderated by communication quality (β = 0.213, p<0.001) and the overall model accounted for 67.2% of the variance in freelancer performance quality. The findings highlight that client feedback is not enough to motivate freelancer to improve their performance in freelancing environment, but the extent of client–freelancer communication and the psychological confidence of freelancer is also important factors and provides theoretical extension of SCT and practical implications for freelancers, clients and freelancing platforms to improve service quality in the changing gig economy