Navigating the algorithmic paradox: how and when perceived algorithmic control affects gig workers’ engagement through harmonious and obsessive work passion

Purpose Previous research has established the critical role of work passion and identified various strategies for fostering employee passion within traditional organizational contexts. However, with the rise of the gig economy, an important question remains: How can digital platforms effectively foster gig workers’ work passion and enhance their subsequent work? By integrating the dualistic model of passion, this study aims to examine perceived algorithmic control as a salient antecedent of work passion among gig workers. Design/methodology/approach A time-lagged field study was conducted with 324 gig drivers in China. Findings Perceived algorithmic control had a double-edged sword effect on work engagement: it enhanced engagement through harmonious passion but undermined it through obsessive passion. Furthermore, perceptions of algorithmic transparency can mitigate the negative indirect effects of perceived algorithmic control on work engagement through obsessive work passion. Originality/value This study proposed and tested the mediating mechanisms and moderating variables by which perceived algorithmic control influences the work engagement among gig workers, contributing new insights into understanding how algorithmic technology shapes gig workers’ passion and subsequent work states.