GIG WORKERS: THE MODERN WORKFORCE IN THAILAND AND HOW TO MOTIVATE THEM

Abstract

Gig workers, people who work under nonstandard or alternative job arrangements, are now becoming an important workforce today. These people can be a better fit for the businesses in this modern day by providing the right skills, at the right time, and at the right cost. This study investigated the gig workers’ motivations and then emphasized on the job motivational factors prioritization among the Thai workers. Quantitative research had been conducted by collecting data from 103 Thai gig workers who experienced working for gig jobs within the past two years. The results of this study show many insights into their motivations. Earning extra money, however, is the main reason the respondents became gig workers, Thai gig workers see other non-monetary motivations as more important. The top most important factors found are ‘freedom on how to work’ and ‘time and location flexibility’. Further analysis of the gig workers' age, gender, areas of work, and work situations shows different rankings results between groups. These lead to insightful findings on how the different groups of workers value differently. Recommendations for the hirers and managers on how to motivate the gig workers are given.