‘If He Just Knew Who We Were’:Microworkers’ Emerging Bonds of Attachment in a Fragmented Employment Relationship

Using the lens of attachment, we explore microworkers’ views of their employment relationship. Microwork comprises short-term, task-focused exchanges with large numbers of end-users (requesters), implying transitory and transactional relationships. Other key parties, however, include the platform which digitally meditates worker-requester relationships and the online microworker community. We explore the nature of attachment with these parties and the implications for microworkers’ employment experiences. Using data from a workers’ campaign directed at Amazon Mechanical Turk and CEO Jeff Bezos, we demonstrate multiple, dynamic bonds, primarily, acquiescence and instrumental bonds towards requesters and the platform, and identification with the online community. Microworkers also expressed dedication towards the platform. We consider how attachment buffers the exploitative employment relationship and how community bonds mobilise collective worker voice

Facets of job satisfaction and work engagement

This study analyzes the relationship between the the facets of job satisfaction and the work engagement. Previous studies that focus on the linkages between work engagement and overall job satisfaction ignore the multi-faceted nature of job satisfaction construct. In this study, how job satisfaction facets are linked to three dimensions of work engagement - i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption- is discussed by drawing on the Social Exchange Theory. The cross-lagged data used in this study comes from the specialist lending division of a UK bank. The Linear Multiple Regression analyzes are run to test the proposed theoretical model. The results show that among all the job satisfaction facets, the ‘satisfaction with work itself’ is the key driver of all dimensions of work engagement i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption. The ‘satisfaction with conditions’ is negatively linked to absorption of employees in their work. This means that the employees with high workload might not be absorbed in their work. Finally, it is found that employees who are satisfied with the communication in their work are also absorbed in their work. This study contributes to our knowledge of the drivers of work engagement over time. The facets of job satisfaction as the drivers help us to have a comprehensive understanding of the link between the job satisfaction facets and work engagement. This study first contributes to the work engagement literature which has neglected the multi-dimensional approach of job satisfaction. This study also contributes to the limited number of work engagement studies conducted in service sector and in UK

Fostering Work Engagement in Geographically-Dispersed and Asynchronous Virtual Teams

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that enable work engagement to develop when asynchronous communication is used in virtual team (VT) projects. Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative approach, a longitudinal study of an eight-month long VT project was carried out. Data collected included an extensive e-mail archive, project documentation, observation of team meetings and interviews with project members and leaders. Findings: The findings show that VT leaders can actively promote work engagement through the effective use of resources along with appropriate practices that foster its development. They can also sustain and nourish work engagement throughout the different phases of the VT lifecycle project. Research limitations/implications: The study has examined work engagement in asynchronous mediated settings. Future work should involve studying the effect of synchronous communications on work engagement within VTs. Practical implications: Organizations that are interested in promoting effective virtual work practices need to train VT managers on how to keep VT members engaged throughout the various phases of the VT project. Social implications: It is posited that developing work engagement is not a one-off practice, but instead, requires ongoing effort that should be evident and supported across the different phases of the VT lifecycle. Originality/value: This paper forwards an important debate on work engagement in alternative, non-permanent, work settings

The future of workplace commitment : key questions and directions

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