Starlight or shadow? Gendered outcomes of star collaborations for independent non-star gig workers: evidence from the board game design industry

Abstract Gig workers, who perform temporary, project-based work on a short-term or freelance basis, typically lack access to formal training, and they rely on informal learning to accumulate human capital. Collaborations with star gig workers, those recognised for exceptional output quality and elevated community reputation, function as a critical pathway for such learning. Yet whether collaborating with star gig workers ultimately helps or hinders non-star gig workers’ task performance and creativity in subsequent independent work remains unclear. Integrating social role theory and the learning literature, we examine how past collaboration with stars shapes non-stars’ performance and creativity in independent gig work. Using archival data on 31,319 board games designed by 13,879 gig workers, we employ multiple linear regression analyses to test these relationships. Results reveal that past collaboration with stars improves non-stars’ task performance but constrains their creativity. Notably, non-star female gig workers benefit more from such collaboration, achieving higher task performance while experiencing less creativity suppression. Our work advances understanding of informal learning in the gig economy and offers practical insights for gig workers navigating their training and learning journeys.