https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101912

A COVID-19 disruption: The great acceleration of digitally planned and transformed behaviors in Thailand

Technological advances such as smartphones, mobile applications, and online platforms have enabled a new form of economy, known as a gig economy, at a large scale, in which there is a free-market system allowing organizations (job providers) to hire independent contractors (job seeker). Unlike traditional employer and employee relationships, the gig economy creates opportunities for independent workers to seek short-term contract jobs and temporary positions. This article presents a systematic review of the literature associated with a bibliometric analysis of the global perspective of the gig economy. The study aims to present the analysis of published articles that explore the gig economy. Initially, 2297 documents were retrieved by gig economy as a keyword from Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science between 2014 and 2022. After applying certain criteria, only 686 publications were selected for bibliometrics analysis. The selected articles were used to measure bibliometric indicators and evaluate the research work on the gig economy. Bibliometrics an R package for bibliometric and co-citation analysis was used to achieve the results. VOSviewer was also used to analyze the co-occurrence of the keywords. The results highlight the publication trends, top contributing authors and their countries, most cited articles, keywords, and most contributing journals to the research field. 

/pdf/bibliometric-analysis-of-gig-economy-2gjou9o4.pdf

Bibliometric Analysis of Gig Economy

An increasing body of research suggests job embeddedness (JE) as a motivational variable influencing employees’ attitudinal and behavioral outcomes such as quitting intentions and task performance. Personal resources have been reported to affect JE and these outcomes. However, little work has investigated the antecedents and consequences of JE among cabin attendants. There is also a dearth of empirical research regarding the mechanism linking resilience to cabin attendants’ affective and performance outcomes. Therefore, drawing on conservation of resources and JE theories, we propose a conceptual model that examines the interrelationships of resilience, JE, career satisfaction (CSAT), and creative performance (CPERF). Moreover, the model explores JE as a mediator of the impact of resilience on CSAT and CPERF. These linkages were tested via data collected from cabin attendants and their pursers. The findings from structural equation modeling reveal that resilience boosts cabin attendants’ JE, CSAT, and CPERF. As predicted, JE is a mediator between resilience and CSAT. Our paper culminates with implications for theory and practice as well as future research directions.

Does Job Embeddedness Mediate the Effect of Resilience on Cabin Attendants’ Career Satisfaction and Creative Performance?

Currently, little is known about the mechanism of how university students’ attitudes toward entrepreneurship education (ATEE) affect entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) in the post-pandemic entrepreneurial environment. Based on the existing research, this study explores the relationship between ATEE, the post-pandemic entrepreneurship environment, and ESE through a questionnaire survey. A total of 910 university students from three universities in Zhejiang Province, China participated, with an effective rate of 92.9%. The data collection focused on the period from August to December 2020. In this study, Stepwise Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze university students' ATEE and its impact on ESE, as well as the moderating effect of the post-pandemic entrepreneurial environment. The results show that the gender of university students and the entrepreneurial experience of their family members exist significant differences in their ATEE and also on their ESE. Furthermore, ATEE exert a significant and positive impact on their entrepreneurial self-efficacy, while the post-pandemic entrepreneurial environment plays a positively moderating role in this influential process.

/pdf/attitudes-toward-entrepreneurship-education-post-pandemic-1k1u3uue.pdf

Attitudes Toward Entrepreneurship Education, Post-pandemic Entrepreneurial Environment, and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Among University Students

As the greatest potential of domestic demand, new urbanization shoulders the important mission of improving the living standards of residents. Based on the theory of exploitation, this paper systematically established the theoretical relationships among population urbanization rate, human capital, family capital, and life satisfaction. Through the 2017 China Comprehensive Social Survey of 1940 micro-individuals for empirical analysis, the results show that: (1) the urbanization rate of the core explanatory variable has a significant and robust positive effect on individual life satisfaction and on human capital and family capital; (2) the urbanization rate of the core explanatory variable has a significant positive effect on human capital and family capital; (3) human capital and family capital have significant positive effects on life satisfaction; (4) in the heterogeneity discussion, the male capital accumulation is higher than the female, but life satisfaction is the opposite. With the increase in age, the individuals accumulated the highest human capital and family capital in 26–34 years old and reached the peak in life satisfaction after retirement in 60–83 years old. As far as regional differences are concerned, individual human capital, family capital, and life satisfaction are decreasing from the east to the west. The results of the study will help to establish a healthy and perfect regional urbanization and to enhance the mental health of residents by promoting talent development and advocating family-friendly construction.

/pdf/empirical-analysis-of-population-urbanization-and-residents-ejnjgl5u.pdf

Empirical Analysis of Population Urbanization and Residents’ Life Satisfaction—Based on 2017 CGSS

At the end of the last century, digital technology emergence enabled millions of people to compete globally by remotely offering their knowledge and skills. In addition, business processes are becoming fragmented into smaller components, so-called short-term projects. These work arrangements are often carried out by so-called independent professionals (contractors), better known as freelancers. A literature review has shown that the research topic of freelancing from an entrepreneurial perspective is relatively new and has its assumptions and gaps. Different stakeholders and institutions connect, mediate and manage the services of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to support entrepreneurs. As freelancers belong to the self-employed entrepreneurial category, they are engaged in business activities and need support from their environment. To contribute to this topic, we have analyzed the relationships between freelancers’ job and career satisfaction, digitalization and entrepreneurial ecosystem factors, with the aim of making policy recommendations. Regarding the entrepreneurial environment, we analyzed the cultural and social norms and government programs that provide support, based on the measurement instrument, developed in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research. We surveyed 200 freelancers (respondents) in Slovenia. Using factor analysis and structural equation modelling, the empirical results suggest that digitalization and cultural and social norms are significant factors that promote the success of new careers as freelancers in terms of job and career satisfaction. The results show that both positively influence job and career satisfaction, while government programs indirectly influence the job and career satisfaction of freelancers. This explains how the entrepreneurial ecosystem, plays a special role in supporting freelancers on their career path.

The Impact of Social and Cultural Norms, Government Programs and Digitalization as Entrepreneurial Environment Factors on Job and Career Satisfaction of Freelancers

Digital technologies are underpinning a wide range of products, services, processes, and business model innovations that are significantly transforming industries, organizations, and society. They are increasingly permeating every aspect of our daily lives. In this paper, we looked at the challenges of digitalization, leading to a new way of working in the market and new business models, such as the gig economy. Individuals are becoming more mobile and self-directed in their careers, as opposed to traditional careers. We investigated the demographic characteristics of the new, growing group of self-employed, so-called freelancers, at the national level in Slovenia and investigated the relationships between human capital and their subjective (job and career satisfaction, life satisfaction) and objective success (income satisfaction). The survey was conducted among 200 freelancers (respondents). The empirical results show that most Slovenian freelancers working from home work in professional, scientific, and technical occupations; are between 35 and 44 years old; have completed the second level of tertiary education; work more than 40 hours per week; and have 16 years or more of work experience. To explore the quality of life of freelancers, empirical analysis showed that human capital factors are important for the success of a new career as a freelancer. The results show that freelancers’ human capital factors (education and experience, skills, and training) positively influence subjective and objective success. Using structural equation modeling, we also confirmed that human capital has a greater impact on freelancers’ subjective success (life satisfaction, career satisfaction) than on objective success (income satisfaction), suggesting that job and life satisfaction should be considered an important resource that freelancers rely on to determine their quality of life.

The Human Capital of the Freelancers and Their Satisfaction with the Quality of Life

* Ivona Huđek, Young Researcher, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, E-mail: ivona.hudjek1@um.si ** Karin Širec, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, E-mail: karin.sirec@um.si *** Polona Tominc, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, E-mail: polona.tominc@um.si Abstract. Nowadays, the development of Internet technology and the effects of digital transformation are leading to the need for more skilful information and communications technology (ICT) specialists in almost every sector of the economy, in order to benefit from technological innovations. That also leads to the need for every employee to be prepared for new changes in production and service delivery processes in their professional life within a modern society. In this study, the factors of digital skills in enterprises that significantly affect the digital entrepreneurship start-up sub-index and digital entrepreneurship scale-up sub-index in the EU countries, are identified and the models are designed to analyse the relationships between the factors. In an increasingly digital world where production processes and service delivery are continuously evolving, EU countries, that is, policymakers and entrepreneurs should be aware of the digital transformation which is happening right now and, thus, pay attention to the digital skills and provide learning opportunities and supportive environment for the workers in acquiring the new skills and knowledge.

/pdf/digital-skills-in-enterprises-according-to-the-european-53a6hmrmy1.pdf

Digital Skills in Enterprises According to the European Digital Entrepreneurship Sub-Indices: Cross-Country Empirical Evidence

In order for the European Union to increase its competitiveness and economic growth with regard to the globalization and competitiveness of other countries, one of the key factors underlying its progress is entrepreneurship. The European Commission states that entrepreneurship skills can be obtained. There is a need for entrepreneurs to create new jobs and this type of education in all EU countries should be supported. In this paper, a comparison between the EU countries in the approaches to entrepreneurial education at the primary and secondary level of education is made. Regression analysis examines links between perceptions of opportunities, perceptions of capabilities, perception of entrepreneurship as desirable career choice, entrepreneurial activities, entrepreneurial intentions and expert assessments for entrepreneurial education. Research was made on the basis of GEM data in 2016. The results point to positive and significant impacts, which is essential for EU members to recognize and invest more efforts in implementing entrepreneurship education in school curricula, and the European Commission to provide even greater support for it.

/pdf/razvoj-poduzetnickog-potencijala-kroz-obrazovanje-za-34k83lg89q.pdf

Razvoj poduzetničkog potencijala kroz obrazovanje za poduzetništvo u eu

The development of Internet technology (IT) at the end of the 20th century and its integration into the business sector has led to the emergence of digital labour platforms that provoke a reorganization of work arrangements by matching the demand and supply of goods and services, known as the “gig economy”. The “gig economy” stands for economic activities or work arrangements related to the performance of very short-term tasks facilitated by digital platforms and can include freelance work, temporary work, work on-demand and contract work. Our paper focuses on the new, growing workforce of freelancers. Freelancers belong to the self-employed category of entrepreneurial activity who do not employ workers, who pay their own taxes, work on projects, work for several clients, and work remotely, usually from home. According to various sources and findings, they are also referred to as entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, digital micro-entrepreneurs, hybrids of employees and entrepreneurs, enablers of entrepreneurship, potential entrepreneurs, etc. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between freelancers and entrepreneurs. The paper will use a literature-review approach to highlight the similarities and main differences between freelancers and entrepreneurs and to find an answer to the question whether freelancers can be considered entrepreneurs or not. In addition, the paper provides insights into freelance work and highlights the benefits and challenges that freelancers face in the labour market.

/pdf/entrepreneurship-vs-freelancing-what-s-the-difference-j42667w66o.pdf

Ivona Huđek

Papers

The Impact of Social and Cultural Norms, Government Programs and Digitalization as Entrepreneurial Environment Factors on Job and Career Satisfaction of Freelancers

The Human Capital of the Freelancers and Their Satisfaction with the Quality of Life

Digital Skills in Enterprises According to the European Digital Entrepreneurship Sub-Indices: Cross-Country Empirical Evidence

Razvoj poduzetničkog potencijala kroz obrazovanje za poduzetništvo u eu

Entrepreneurship vs. Freelancing: What’s the Difference?