Investigating gig workers’ commitment to crowdsourced logistics platforms: Fair employment and social exchange perspectives

Abstract

Crowdsourced logistics is developing rapidly during and post COVID-19. As key workers of crowdsourced logistics, gig workers' commitment is essential for the sustainable development of gig platforms. Drawing from the social exchange paradigm and organisational identification, this study explores how the five principles of Fairwork provided by crowdsourced logistics platforms (i.e., fair representation, fair management, fair conditions, fair contracts, fair pay) contribute to gig workers' organisational identification, which subsequently influences career satisfaction and career commitment. The study gathered 177 responses from gig workers in Singapore in July 2022. The structural equation modelling findings suggest that factors such as fair conditions, fair pay, fair representation, fair management, and fair contracts have substantial impacts on organisational identification. Moreover, the link between organisational identification and career commitment is partially mediated by career satisfaction. Overall, this study enriches the literature by proposing a suitable theoretical model to explain gig workers' commitment to crowdsourced logistics platforms. Moreover, the empirical results provide implications on the understanding of gig workers’ concerns for gig platforms, as well as policy suggestions for the maintenance of gig workers in the future.