opportunities for income generation. The purpose of this study is to present a
transition to actual behavior.
Methodology: Responses from 235 people have been collected from the
freelancers working on digital platforms based on structured questionnaire. Data
have been analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS.
Findings: The results of this study showed that the intention to freelance is
significantly associated with freelancing attitude, subjective
norm, perceived behavioral control, and professional identity. Furthermore, freelancing
intention acted as a mediating element in the relationship between these factors and the
actual freelancing behavior.
Practical Implications: Specifically, the findings convey implications for
existing and prospective freelancers, organizations aiming to collaborate with
freelancers, and for the policymakers endeavoring to foster an ecosystem
conducive to freelancing entrepreneurship. Theoretically, though this research is
based on TPB theory, integration of professional identity in the proposed model
provides a better predictive capacity to assess freelancing intention and ultimate
freelancing behavior.
Value/Originality: There exists a significant deficiency of comprehensive
research on the combined effects of freelancing attitude, subjective norm,
perceived behavioral control, and professional identity on freelancing intention,
and their impacts on ultimate freelancing behavior in Bangladesh. This study fills
this research gap by combining freelancing attitude, subjective norm, perceived
behavioral control, and professional identity with freelancing intention, and with
ultimate freelancing behavior from the perspective of Bangladesh.
Limitations: The study model considers only a limited number of factors that
determine freelancing intention and behavior. Furthermore, the study sample was
limited that might not represent the overall scenario of freelancing intention and
behavior.
