Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Accounting Management, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The expansion of the gig economy and the widespread transformations in employment patterns have highlighted the necessity of revisiting traditional human resource management concepts, particularly in assessing employee commitment. In this dynamic context, identifying the dimensions and indicators of gig workers' commitment especially from the employer’s perspective، plays a crucial role in improving the management and retention of this flexible and project-based workforce. The aim of this study is to develop a multidimensional framework for measuring and quantifying gig worker commitment from the employer’s viewpoint, based on objective and data-driven indicators. The research was conducted in two phases. First, through a systematic literature review, relevant indicators for commitment assessment were identified. Then, using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making approach, these indicators were weighted and prioritized. The findings of the study revealed five key dimensions, ranked in order of weight, as the most important components for assessing gig workers' commitment from the employer's perspective: stability and reliability of work, performance and work quality, engagement and proactiveness, professionalism and ethical behavior, and work relationship persistence. This framework provides a structured basis for designing targeted performance evaluation systems and developing more effective management policies for organizations operating within the gig economy.
Keywords
- Gig economy
- employee commitment
- best-worst method (BWM)
- multi-dimensional assessment
- measurement framework
Main Subjects
- Ahmad, W.N.K.W., Rezaei, J., Sadaghiani, S., & Tavasszy, L.A. (2017). Evaluation of the external forces affecting the sustainability of oil and gas supply chain using Best Worst Method. Journal of cleaner production, 153, 242-252.
- Alacovska, A., Bucher, E., & Fieseler, C. (2024). A relational work perspective on the gig economy: doing creative work on digital labour platforms. Work, Employment and Society, 38(1), 161-179.
- Alshamrani, A., Majumder, P., Das, A., Hezam, I. M., & Božanić, D. (2023). An integrated BWM-TOPSIS-I approach to determine the ranking of alternatives and application of sustainability analysis of renewable energy. Axioms, 12(2), 159.
- Amin, M. R. (2024). Gig Workers’ Performance through Work Motivation and Organizational Commitment: An Evidence of Gojek Drivers Surabaya. Al-Idarah: Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis Islam, 5(2), 12-33.
- Ashford, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Reid, E. M. (2018). From surviving to thriving in the gig economy: A research agenda for individuals in the new world of work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, 23-41.
- Becker, H. S. (1960). Notes on the concept of commitment. American Journal of Sociology, 66(1), 32-40. doi: 10.1086/222825
- Behl, A., Sheorey, P., Jain, K., Chavan, M., Jajodia, I., & Zhang, Z. J. (2021). Gamifying the gig: transitioning the dark side to bright side of online engagement. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 25, 1-34.
- Budoyo, Y. K., & Suyanto, S. (2025). Gig Economy Shakeup: How It’s Reshaping Jobs, Paychecks and The World’s Economy. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, Ekonomi, & Akuntansi (MEA), 9(1), 498-511.
- Bunders, D. J., & Akkerman, A. (2023). Commitment issues? Analysing the effect of preference deviation and social embeddedness on member commitment to worker cooperatives in the gig economy. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 44(4), 1007-1026.
- Campagna, R., & Griffith, J. (2023). When the gig isn’t up: The importance (and relevance) of trust on gig workers’ performance and commitment. Journal of Trust Research, 13(2), 164-196.
- Caza, B. B., Reid, E. M., Ashford, S. J., & Granger, S. (2022). Working on my own: Measuring the challenges of gig work. Human Relations, 75(11), 2122-2159.
- Chitsaz, N., & Azarnivand, A. (2017). Water scarcity management in arid regions based on an extended multiple criteria technique. Water Resources Management, 31(1), 233-250.
- Chiu, H. H., Palupi, G. S., & Zhu, Y. Q. (2022). Workers’ affective commitment in the gig economy: The role of IS quality, organizational support, and fairness. Pacific Asia Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 14(3), 52–76.
- Cropanzano, R., Keplinger, K., Lambert, B. K., Caza, B., & Ashford, S. J. (2023). The organizational psychology of gig work: An integrative conceptual review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(3), 492.
- Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R., & McDonnell, A. (2020). Algorithmic management and app‐work in the gig economy: A research agenda for employment relations and HRM. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(1), 114–132.
- Fazayeli, S., Abbasi Ghasemloee, R., & Alipour, M. (2025). Locating safe places for temporary accommodation during an earthquake using GIS and BWM technique. Journal of Modeling in Engineering. doi: 10.22075/jme.2025.34079.2664
- Fisher, S. L., Meijerink, J., & Arets, M. (2025). Dual effects of economic dependence on platform workers’ work experiences? The role of autonomy, commitment and online review systems. Personnel Review,
- Gallagher, D. G., & McLean Parks, J. (2001). I pledge thee my troth: Commitment and the gig economy. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 22(5), 475-492. doi: 10.1002/job.95
- García-Cruz, J., & Valle-Cabrera, R. (2024). The employer’s commitment: Conceptualization, development, and validation of a scale. Management Research Review, 47(2), 234–259.
- Giang, T. G. T., Dung, L. T., Tien, H. T., & Nhu, C. T. B. (2025). Corporate social responsibility and gig worker commitment: empowerment and trust as mediators. Journal of Global Responsibility, 16(2), 334-354.
- Grund, C., & Titz, K. (2022). Affective commitment through further training: The roles of firm provision and employee participation. Review of Managerial Science, 16(5), 1195–1226.
- Gupta, H. (2018). Assessing organizations performance on the basis of GHRM practices using BWM and Fuzzy TOPSIS. Journal of environmental management, 226, 201-216.
- Gupta, P., Anand, S., & Gupta, H. (2017). Developing a roadmap to overcome barriers to energy efficiency in buildings using best worst method. Sustainable Cities and Society, 31, 244-259.
- Hegde, L. N. (2019). A study on human resource strategies for managing and integrating gig workers into traditional workforces. ICONIC Research and Engineering Journals, 2(9), 192–205.
- Hernandez, R. H., Song, Q., Kou, Y., & Gui, X. (2024). "At the end of the day, I am accountable": Gig workers' self-tracking for multi-dimensional accountability management. Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–14.
- Jarrahi, M. H., & Sutherland, W. (2019). Algorithmic management and algorithmic competencies: Understanding and appropriating algorithms in gig work. In International conference on information, 578-589, Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Kalleberg, A. L. (2018). Precarious Lives: Job Insecurity and Well-being in Rich Democracies. Polity Press.
- Kaur, R., & Verma, S. (2025). Exploring commitment in the gig economy: the role of corporate image, employee expectations and employer familiarity. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 47(5), 719-740.
- Kuhn, K. M., & Maleki, A. (2017). Micro-entrepreneurs, dependent contractors, and instaserfs: Understanding online labor platform workforces. Academy of Management Perspectives, 31(3), 183–200.
- Kuhn, K. M., & Maleki, A. (2023). Human resource management practices for gig workers: A systematic review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 33(1), 100877.
- Li, T., & Fei, L. (2025). Exploring obstacles to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in emergency rescue: A BWM-DEMATEL approach. Technology in Society, 81, 102863.
- Li, X., Tan, A. J. H., Wang, X., & Yuen, K. F. (2023). Investigating gig workers’ commitment to crowdsourced logistics platforms: Fair employment and social exchange perspectives. Technology in Society, 74, 102311.
- Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100.
- Liu, W., He, C., Jiang, Y., Ji, R., & Zhai, X. (2020). Effect of gig workers’ psychological contract fulfillment on their task performance in a sharing economy—A perspective from the mediation of organizational identification and the moderation of length of service. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(7), 2208.
- Long, H. A., French, D. P., & Brooks, J. M. (2020). Optimising the value of the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) tool for quality appraisal in qualitative evidence synthesis. Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences, 1(1), 31-42.
- Mahjoub, A., & Kheybari, S. (2025). The evolution of job advertisements in the era of responsible advertising. In H. Olya (Ed.), Toward responsible service management: AI and digital transformation in action (pp. 189–206). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-963-720251015
- Mahjoub, A., & Kruyen, P. M. (2021). Efficient recruitment with effective job advertisement: an exploratory literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, 24(2), 107-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-04-2020-0052
- Malin, B. A., & Chandler, S. D. (2017). Free to work anxiously: Splintering precariousness among drivers for Uber Black. Communication, Culture & Critique, 10(1), 39-58.
- Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61-89. doi: 10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-Z
- Möhlmann, M., & Zalmanson, L. (2021). The role of digital platforms in shaping the gig economy: Exploring the interplay between platform design and worker behavior. Journal of Management, 47(1), 31-55.
- Mukhopadhyay, B., & Chatwin, C. (2021). 'Your Driver is Didi and Minutes Away from Your Pick-Up Point': Understanding Employee Motivation in the Gig Economy of China(No. 805). GLO Discussion Paper.
- Nair, M. (2025). Employee retention a top priority and what if it doesn’t work: Time to look at an ideal notice period. Human Systems Management, 44(1), 36-48.
- Omar, N., & Jamil, R. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review of the Gig Economy: Insights into Worker Experiences, Policy Implications, and the Impact of Digitalization. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(2), 2136-2156.
- Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. bmj, 372.
- Rani, U., Kumar Dhir, R., Furrer, M., Göbel, N., Moraiti, A., & Cooney, S. (2021). World Employment and Social Outlook 2021: The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
- Reeuwijk, J. A. (2024). Organizational commitment among Dutch gig workers. Master Thesis, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University.
- Rezaei, J. (2015). Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method. Omega, 53, 49-57.
- Rezaei, J. (2016). Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method: Some properties and a linear model. Omega, 64, 126-130.
- Rezaei, J. (2020). A concentration ratio for nonlinear best worst method. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 19(03), 891-907.
- Sadaghiani, S., Ahmad, K.W., Rezaei, J., & Tavasszy, L. (2015, April). Evaluation of external forces affecting supply chain sustainability in oil and gas industry using Best Worst Method. In 2015 International Mediterranean Gas and Oil Conference (MedGO) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
- Salimi, N., & Rezaei, J. (2016). Measuring efficiency of university-industry Ph.D. projects using best worst method. Scientometrics, 109(3), 1911-1938.
- Sazvar, Z., Nayeri, S., Mirbagheri, R., Tanhaeean, M., Fallahpour, A., & Wong, K. Y. (2022). A hybrid decision-making framework to manage occupational stress in project-based organizations. Soft Computing, 26(22), 12445-12460.
- Shea, B. J., Reeves, B. C., Wells, G., Thuku, M., Hamel, C., Moran, J., ... & Henry, D. A. (2017). AMSTAR 2: A critical appraisal tool for systematic reviews that include randomised or non-randomised studies of healthcare interventions, or both. Business Management Journal, 358, j4008. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j4008
- Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339.
- Stanford, J. (2017). The resurgence of gig work: Historical and theoretical perspectives. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 28(3), 382–401.
- Sundararajan, A. (2016). The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism. MIT Press.
- Sutherland, W., & Jarrahi, M. H. (2018). The sharing economy and digital platforms: A review and research agenda for information systems. Journal of Information Technology, 33(2), 93–110.
- Swathi Lakshmi, R., & Thiruchelvi, A. (2019). Organizational Commitment Among Gig Workers And The Role Of Relational Psychological Contract Development. International Journal of Business Management and Informatics, 8(12), 63-66.
- Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence‐informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222.
- Van de Kaa, G., Fens, T., & Rezaei, J. (2019). Residential grid storage technology battles: a multi-criteria analysis using BWM. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 31(1), 40-52.
- Van Rossenberg, Y. G. T., Klein, H. J., Asplund, K., Bentein, K., Breitsohl, H., Cohen, A., ... & Yalabik, Z. Y. (2018). The future of workplace commitment: Key questions and directions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27(2), 153-167.
- Veen, A., Barratt, T., & Goods, C. (2022). Platform control and algorithmic management: A systematic review of gig work governance. Work, Employment and Society, 36(1), 36–55.
- Wiener, M., & Cram, W. A. (2021). Algorithmic control and gig workers: A legitimacy perspective of Uber drivers. Journal of Management Information Systems, 38(2), 1-27.
- Wood, A. J., Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., & Hjorth, I. (2019). Good gig, bad gig: Autonomy and algorithmic control in the global gig economy. Work, Employment and Society, 33(1), 56–75.
- Wu, D., & Huang, J. L. (2024). Gig work and gig workers: An integrative review and agenda for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(2), 183-208.
- Yang, L., & Panyagometh, A. (2024). Factors influencing gig workers’ satisfaction and commitment in the knowledge service providing platforms based on the self-determination theory: The case study in China. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 45(1), 289-298.
- Almaspour, M. S., Khastar, H., Jafarinia, S., & Abdollahi, B. (2021). A framework for gig human resource management in platform businesses. Journal of Research in Human Resources Management, 11(1), 129-167. [In Persian]
- Dustar, M., Mostaghimi, M. R., & Esmailzadeh, M. (2015). Ethical leadership and exploring the impacts of its dimensions on organizational commitment. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 24(79), 27-45. [In Persian]
- Firoz-Zare, M., & Rezapour, M. (2020). Gig economy and changes in human resource management (a systematic review of gig economy and workforce studies). 17th International Management Conference, Tehran, Iran. [In Persian]
- Moradi, A. (2022). Explaining the conceptual model of human resource management concerns by gig workers using a qualitative method. Tadbir Journal, 33(330). [In Persian]
- Moshabaki Esfahani, A., & Rezaee, Z. (2014). The study of organizational virtuousness and work engagement effects on organizational commitment. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 23(73), 1-23. [In Persian]
- Sadr, N., Khorakian, A., & Malekzadeh, Gh. (2020). Investigating the effect of Affective Commitment on Employees’ Resistance to Change through the Mediating Role of Attitudes and Readiness for Change. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 29(96), 101-120. [In Persian]
- Salarvand, B., & Hasanvand, A. (2024). Gig economy and its effects on the labor market and income inequality. The Third International Conference on Economics and Business Management, Tehran, Iran. [In Persian]
- Yazdanshenas, M., & Babakhani, S. (2020). The effect of network behavior on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 29(95), 49-81. [In Persian]