eLancing motivations
| Pages | 53-69 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-09-2015-0306 |
| Published date | 13 February 2017 |
| Date | 13 February 2017 |
| Author | Abubakar Mohammed Abubakar,Belal Hamed Taher Shneikat |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Bibliometrics,Databases,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet,Records management & preservation,Document management |
eLancing motivations
Abubakar Mohammed Abubakar
Department of Management Information System,
Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey, and
Belal Hamed Taher Shneikat
Faculty of Business and Economics, Eastern Mediterranean University,
Gazimagusa, Turkey
Abstract
Purpose –eLancing is a networked online platform used for distributive problem-solving, economic
production and service delivery. The platform includes websites/marketplaces where individuals interested in
being hired, and clients looking for individuals to perform some type of work meet. eLancing boasts millions
of users and billions of dollars in transactions, and it involves fundamental changes in the nature of work. The
motivations of this research stems from the credo and notion in which the advances in technology are
transforming firm and market structures, employee-employer relationship and the increased intimacy with
decentralized system. In order to explore new applications for the eLancing model, there must be a better
understanding of why individuals participate in eLancing activities. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach –In total, 48 semi-structured interviews were conducted online with
workers at elance.com.
Findings –Ten primary motivators for participation emerged that include following: work-family balance,
flexibility and autonomy; economic incentives; skills development; trust and transparency; geographical
location; unemployment, equality and disability; higher returns; reputation; passion and enjoyment in
problem-solving; and revenge.
Originality/value –The current study has added rich qualitative data to the scanty eLancing literature and
managerial implications are discussed.
Keywords Turkey, Online freelance, eLancing, Motivations
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
Several scholars havenoted that the twenty-first-century organizations differ in a number of
important ways from those of the previous centuries (Cascio, 2006; Engardio, 2006; Hamm,
2006). Cascio and Aguinis (2008) reviewed the characteristics of the twenty-first-century
organizations;the authors argued that the current staffing model and approachesdoes not fit
into the fast-paced global organizations. Inspiredby the internet technology,organizations are
experiencing a radical transformation that is nothing less than a new industrial revolution,
and this transformation is felt across the globe(Cascio and Aguinis, 2008). Further,Schweyer
reported that, in 2009, about 850 million of the global workforce will work via remote access
and/or mobile technology, according to a research firm IDC (Schweyer, 2006). Therefore,
organizations will be organized around networks, increased partnerships and coopetition,
outsourcing, and contracting rather than self-sufficiency. The long-held view of organizing
labor and capital to deliver product and service in the same location appears to be losing its
strengths. HR generalists and academicians have begun turning their attention toward a
hybrid business model that advocates distributed mobilization of labor and capitalto deliver
product and service (Dong and Pourmohamadi, 2014). Dvorak (2007) proposed that future
firms will seek intellectual capital (e.g. skills, talent and resources) around the globe,
leveraging the powerof the internet. Hence, the very notion of a headquarter country may no
longer apply. Perhaps, firms will be very specialized and their sizes will be decreased
dramatically because they will depend on network of “product and/or service”suppliers.
In addition, firms will remotely outsource talent at various organizational levels from global
labor markets(Cascio and Aguinis, 2008). For instance,intense competition hasled IT firms to
engage in offshoreoutsourcing, the primary motivation is to save productionand labor costs,
Online Information Review
Vol. 41 No. 1, 2017
pp. 53-69
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-09-2015-0306
Received 16 September 2015
Revised 13 May 2016
Accepted 2 June 2016
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
53
eLancing
motivations
and to survive competition (Kumar and Sinha, 2003). These changes have reduced the
hierarchy and coordination costs in organizations, and leveraging agile and flexible staffing
models. Conventional, large organizations find difficulties in hiring and firing employees
due to initial costsand legal issues. Technological progressand breakthroughs have createda
new market mechanism called eLancing.eLancing is a new market mechanism comprised of
electronically connected freelancers joined into networks to provide IT (Malone and
Laubacher, 1998)and other forms of services. These channelsenable small firms to efficiently
outsource small projects (Snir and Hitt, 2003). Stone and Dulebohn (2013) asserted that
eLancing hascreated essential fundamentalchanges in the nature of work,and one that alters
the employer-employee relationship. Given the brief literature, firm motivations to engage in
eLancing activities include: profits and cost reduction; decrease administrative burdens and
management overhead; enhance HR efficiency; facilitate HR planning; and decrease training
and development burden (e.g. Gueutal and Stone, 2005; Bartram and Hambleton, 2005;
Kavanagh et al., 2011; Stone and Dulebohn, 2013).UK alone has about 1.5 million freelancers
(Kitching and Smallbone, 2012), freelancers constitute of 33 percent of the world population
(International Labour Office, 2009); one in three workers in the USA (approx. 53 million) are
freelancers (Freelancers Union, 2015).
1.1 Purpose
eLancing is one of the unnoted sub-sectors in the world as well as the Republic of Turkey.
The number of freelancers in world and Turkey is still unknown, and little is known about
the motivations of eLancers or internet freelancers. This is largely due to a lack of
understanding about the concept and its value to employers and employees as well as its
economic impacts. Further, Kitching and Smallbone (2012) stated that freelancers’
motivations are issues of profound interest to researchers. Up to date, no study has sought
to examine eLancing motivations. Some might argue that economic benefit is the main
reason for people to engage in eLancing; but that is not true, several factors may emerge.
Freelancers share certain characteristics but possibly also differ with regard to motivations
(Kitching and Smallbone, 2012). A comprehensive and systematic model of how underlying
factors shape eLancing behaviors has remained vague. The key contributions presented in
this paper will provide several managerial insights that would help them in selecting,
recruiting, hiring and even on how to design tasks. Perhaps, understanding motivation
requires an understanding of the psychological dimensions of motivation. Furthermore,
scholars need these dimensions to be able to understand the role of a technology in an
individual’s life, organization and the society as a whole. The research outcome will offer
interesting findings for practitioners on how to better enhance eLancing platforms;
categorization of motivations would help to set the stage for more sophisticated research,
theory development and social impact frameworks.
1.2 Outline
The paper is organized as follows. The next section provides a brief introduction to
the existing theoretical framework. Second, methodological approaches will be outlined.
Third, data analysis and themes will be discussed; the last section presents implications for
practices and possible future research direction.
2. Theoretical underpinnings
Etymologically,the word free-lance was coinedby Sir Walter Scott (1820), meaning“medieval
mercenary warrior”(lance indicates non-allegiance to any lord’s services). A few number of
scholars have coined various terminology for freelancers, e.g., “independent contracting/
worker”(Kalleberg, 2000; Storey et al., 2005; Holgate and McKay, 2009; Moeran, 2009) and
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