Basic psychological need satisfaction and well-being for gig workers: a fuzzy set QCA approach in DiDi of China

With the rapid development of the gig economy, the psychological needs of gig workers have gradually attracted attention. The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between basic psychological need and well-being. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to analyze questionnaire data from a sample of 422 DiDi drivers in China. The results show that there are altogether 10 basic psychological need satisfaction combination configurations to improve the well-being of gig workers. In general, Chinese gig workers pay more attention to whether respect and recognition, and occupational planning are met. This study contributes to the literature of basic psychological need and gig workers’ well-being in the Chinese context. In the analysis of asymmetric relationship, it has some noticeable advantages, because it allows to explore how basic psychological needs are combined with the necessary and sufficient conditions, so as to form the basis for the well-being of gig workers. It represents a promising new direction for gig workers’ well-being.