Islamic Work Ethics as a Personal Resource: Buffering Job Insecurity and Strengthening Platform Support among Gig Workers

Abstract

The growth of the gig economy has increased work flexibility while also exposing workers to income uncertainty, employment instability, and dependence on digital platforms. This study examines the effects of Job Insecurity and Platform Support on Employee Well-being and investigates Islamic Work Ethics as both a direct predictor and a moderating variable among gig workers in Indonesia. Using a quantitative explanatory design, primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that Job Insecurity reduces Employee Well-being, whereas Platform Support and Islamic Work Ethics improve workers’ well-being. More importantly, Islamic Work Ethics buffers the negative effect of Job Insecurity and strengthens the positive effect of Platform Support. The originality of this study lies in positioning Islamic Work Ethics not merely as a moral orientation, but as a personal resource that shapes how workers respond to adverse and supportive platform conditions. By integrating Job Insecurity as a job demand, Platform Support as a job resource, and Islamic Work Ethics as a personal resource, this study extends the Job Demands–Resources and Conservation of Resources perspectives to digitally mediated gig work. The findings also highlight the importance of combining supportive platform governance with stronger personal resources to improve gig workers’ well-being.