13323: Coping with Autonomy: How Independent Workers Experience and Manage High Autonomy Work Arrangements

Job autonomy, or discretion and freedom in one’s work, has been linked to several beneficial outcomes for individuals taking part in organizational work, including lessened burnout. However, the relationship between job autonomy and burnout has largely been examined within structured contexts – that is, within organizations. How do individuals working outside of organizations experience job autonomy? Extant research suggests that those working in nonstandard work contexts (independent workers or those working on a contract-to-contract basis) might struggle to manage their high-autonomy work arrangements, sometimes using their autonomy in self-exploitative and inhibitive ways. We explore this quandary via a mixed-methods approach. First, in Study 1, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of independent and organizational workers to examine how experiences of autonomy and burnout might differ between work arrangements. We further analyzed how specific aspects of autonomy (temporal, relational, physical, and task-based) might play a differential role in the experience of burnout for independent and organizational workers. Supplemental open-text responses revealed salient downsides of autonomy for independent workers, suggesting that autonomy must be managed effectively in order to garner benefits for these individuals. Second, in Study 2, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 professional marketers working outside of organizations to uncover the ‘bounding tactics' that these individuals employ to manage their autonomy effectively and reduce burnout. Together, our findings suggest that the relationship between job autonomy and burnout is more nuanced for individuals working outside of organizations.

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