Linking job autonomy and gig work performance: The serial mediating roles of work–life balance and job engagement

This study examines how job autonomy influences gig work performance through work–life balance (WLB) and job engagement (JE) among food-app delivery workers in India. Survey data from 481 gig workers across five metropolitan cities were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results reveal that job autonomy exerts both direct and indirect effects on performance, with WLB and JE functioning as complementary partial mediators in a serial mediation framework. The findings extend resource-based and motivational theories to platform work and highlight autonomy-centered design as a critical lever for sustaining well-being and performance in the gig economy.