Hospitality Gig Worker Motivation Profiles: A Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

Gig workers are growing in number and becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry; however, the employment styles, work experiences, and employer–worker relationships differ from those of traditional employees. Additionally, there are various types of hospitality gig workers, differing in positions, work styles, skill levels, and incomes. Therefore, it is critical to understand their unique and different motivations through a person-centered approach utilizing latent profile analysis to reveal the nuanced motivation types within individual hospitality gig workers. Four unique profiles of motivation were found with a sample of hospitality gig workers: income boosters, floaters, gig lovers, and all-in. Several antecedents and significant differences in attitude, performance, and gig worker well-being-related outcomes were measured among the four profiles. The results reveal new theoretical and practical insights into hospitality gig workers and their motivations, suggesting that gig workers have various combinations of work motivation, leading to different work-related outcomes.