Interfaces between Independent Work and its Configurations: a Concept Map

In both the academic and professional world there is a lack of consensus and clear understanding of independent work and its various configurations. Through an integrative literature review and a systematic qualitative analysis of 122 academic and government sources over a period of 30 years (1987 – 2016), the aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive framework explaining the lack of unanimity on the topic. The proliferation of concepts is particularly striking: 501 different terms were found that describe and designate organizations, activities, independent workers, and the causes and effects of independent work on people, organizations, and society. Thus, our final contribution involves creating a concept map of the available terms to further study the “interfaces” between independent work and its many configurations in a more systematic manner.