Pop-Up Gig Microteams as Shock Absorbers: Rethinking Cross-Functional Collaboration with Algorithmically Assembled Specialists

Gig work challenges standard OB assumptions about attachment, control, and coordination (Huang, Bowling, & Wu, 2025). This idea studies “pop-up” gig microteams temporarily embedded into cross-functional IT projects (Sivasankaran et al., 2024) during demand spikes or knowledge gaps. We test the counterintuitive prediction that performance improves when pop-ups centralize communication under weak internal ties (Ding et al., 2024), but degrades when organizations decentralize prematurely or when cultural and discipline conditions (Haryawan & Sopiah, 2024) don’t support quick integration. We also examine whether voice from gig contributors is heeded or discounted, and how this affects team performance (Alpiani & Harsono, 2025). Methodologically, we combine field experiments (vary the microteam’s network position, onboarding rituals, and tool integrations; cf. Piwowarczyk, 2024) with qualitative cases of boundary-spanning in complex products (Abdul Wahab et al., 2024). The novelty is treating gig groups as designed, temporary “shock absorbers” within organizational teams—rather than as peripheral freelancers—and specifying network conditions, culture/discipline profiles, and onboarding protocols that make them accretive rather than disruptive. Findings could inform dynamic resource orchestration and platform-mediated talent strategies.

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