Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale Validation Study of the English Version in an Online Gig Work Context

Abstract

The self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation and personality that focuses on people’s innate psychological needs and their desires for growth and development. The Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS) is grounded in the SDT and was extensively researched and tested on different cultures, in different languages and in different contexts. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the applicability of the MWMS in a different and relatively new type of work, namely on online gig work. A sample of workers on the Clickworker.com platform (N=542) voluntarily answered the questionnaire. The result shows that, while most subscales are applicable in this context, the Introjected regulation subscale might need some adjustment for online work environments.