Job application intention and search behavior of crowd workers

Authors

  • Zuria Saad Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia
  • Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi Faculty of Industrial Management, University Malaysia Pahang, Pahang, Malaysia
  • Azim Azuan Osman Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia
  • Mohd Safwan Ramli Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/jeeir.v12i2.861

Abstract

This study aims to explore the job application intentions and search behaviors of crowd workers on online crowdsourcing platforms through the lens of Signaling Theory. The research involved 66 students from the Bachelor of Office System Management program at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pahang, who participated as part-time crowd workers on various online platforms as part of the study requirements. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between job characteristics, person-job fit (as the signaler), and job-related factors influencing crowd workers' intentions and search behaviors (as the receivers), in alignment with Signaling Theory. These results provide a deeper understanding of crowd worker behavior, offering valuable insights for crowdsourcing platforms and job providers to enhance platform features and improve terms and conditions, ultimately making the platforms more attractive and efficient for both workers and employers.

Author Biographies

Zuria Saad, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia

Zuria Akmal Saad (0000-0002-5884-2820 ORCID ID) is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pahang Branch. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Management at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah. Zuria specializes in organizational behavior, business process reengineering, and the digital workforce. Her research interests encompass exploring innovative approaches to enhance organizational efficiency and adaptability.  She can be contacted at zuria@uitm.edu.my

Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi, Faculty of Industrial Management, University Malaysia Pahang, Pahang, Malaysia

Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi (ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2137-4602) is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Industrial Management, University Malaysia Pahang. He holds a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Management at Multimedia University. Ashraf earned his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from the International Islamic University Malaysia and later completed a master’s degree in manufacturing system engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia.  His research interests encompass knowledge management, sustainable building, quality management, project management, and sustainable energy. He can be reached via email at ashrafauzi@umpsa.edu.my.

Azim Azuan Osman, Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Perlis, Malaysia

Azim Azuan (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9078-3154) holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering (Manufacturing) and an MBA in Engineering Management from University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). He earned his Ph.D. in Operations Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). Previously a research assistant at UUM, Azim provides freelance research consultation. Actively involved in Lean Management, Quality Management, and Change Management, he has led 10+ research grants and coached over 100 postgraduate students. Azim is recognized for conducting workshops on data analysis using SmartPLS and SPSS, showcasing his dedication to impactful research and academic development.  He can be reached via email at azimazuan@umpsa.edu.my

Mohd Safwan Ramli, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kampus Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia

Mohd Safwan Ramli (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3065-8300) holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Business and Management from Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. Currently serving as the head of the quality department at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pahang Branch, he is actively engaged in conferences and paper production, with a focus on innovation and creativity. He can be contacted via email at safwanramli@uitm.edu.my.

References

Ahn, Y., & Lee, J. (2019). The effect of participation effort on CSR participation intention: The moderating role of construal level on consumer perception of warm glow and perceived costs. Sustainability, 12(1), 83.

Alla,A. (2017), Impact of Person-Job Fit, Person-Organization Fit, Information Sharing and Empowerment on Organizational Commitment of Morrocan Bank Managers. International Journal of Emerging Research in Management & Technology,6(2), 16-22.

Aloisi, A. (2015). Commoditized workers: Case study research on labor law issues arising from a set of ‘on-demand/gig economy’ platforms. Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal, 37(3), 653-690.

Amorim, A. M., & Vieira, V. (2023). Participation in crowdsourcing micro-tasks: what motivates brazilian older adults?. Universal Access in the Information Society, 1-25.

Amrollahi, A., & Ahmadi, M. H. (2019). What Motivates the Crowd? A Literature Review on Motivations for Crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing and knowledge management in contemporary business environments, 103-133.

Awang (2012). Research Methodology and Data Analysis (2nd ed). UiTM Press.

Bakici, T. (2020). Comparison of crowdsourcing platforms from social-psychological and motivational perspectives. International Journal of Information Management, 54, 102121.

Becker, G. S. (1962). Investment in human capital: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5), 9-49.

Behl, A., Sheorey, P., Chavan, M., Jain, K., & Jajodia, I. (2021). Empirical investigation of participation on crowdsourcing platforms: A gamified approach. Journal of Global Information Management, 29(6), 1-27.

Bhandari, P. (2020) What Is Qualitative Research? Methods & Examples. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research.

Cable, D. M., & Judge, T. A. (1996). Person–organization fit, job choice decisions, and organizational entry. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67(3), 294-311.

Carless, S. A. (2005). The influence of fit perceptions, equal opportunity policies, and social support network on pre-entry police officer career commitment and intentions to remain. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33(4), 341-352.

Caska, B. A. (1998). The search for employment: Motivation to engage in a coping behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(3), 206-224. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01702.x

Chapman, D.S., Uggerslev, K.L., Carroll, S.A., Piasentin, K.A., & Jones, D.A. (2005). Applicant attraction to organizations and job choice: A meta-analytic review of the correlates of recruiting outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 928-944.

Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. A. (2015). Research methods, Design and analysis. England: Pearson Education Limited.

Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. (2011). Signaling theory: A review and assessment. Journal of Management, 37(1), 39-67.

D’Cruz, P., & Noronha, E. (2016). Positives outweighing negatives: the experiences of Indian crowdsourced workers. Work Organization, Labour and Globalization, 10(1), 44-63.

Deng, X. N., & Joshi, K. D. (2016). Why individuals participate in micro-task crowdsourcing work environment: Revealing crowdworkers’ perceptions. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 17(10), 3.

Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2001). The role of trust in organizational settings. Organization Science, 12(4), 450-467.

Eickhoff, C., & A. P. de Vries. Increasing cheat robustness of crowdsourcing tasks. Information Retrieval, 16(2):121–137, 2013.

Eickhoff, C., & de Vries, A. P. (2013). Increasing cheat robustness of crowdsourcing tasks. Information Retrieval, 16, 121-137.

Gadiraju, U., Demartini, G., Kawase, R., & Dietze, S. (2019). Crowd anatomy beyond the good and bad: Behavioral traces for crowd worker modeling and pre-selection. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 28, 815-841.

Gao, S., Jin, X., & Zhang, Y. (2021). User participation behavior in crowdsourcing platforms: Impact of information signaling theory. Sustainability, 13(11), 6290.

Gomes, D., & Neves, J. (2011). Organizational attractiveness and prospective applicants' intentions to apply. Personnel Review, 40(6), 684-699.

Graham, M., Hjorth, I., & Lehdonvirta, V. (2017). Digital labour and development: impacts of global digital labour platforms and the gig economy on worker livelihoods. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 23(2), 135-162.

Huang, J.-C. (2022), Effects of person-organization fit objective feedback and subjective perception on organizational attractiveness in online recruitment. Personnel Review, 51(4), 1262-1276. https://doi-org.uitm.idm.oclc.org/10.1108/PR-06-2020-0449

Hussain, H. (2017), Person Job-Fit and Job Performance Among Non-Governmental Organization Workers: A Conceptual Framework. International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business, 2(5), 108-122

Huws, U., Spencer, N. H., & Joyce, S. (2016). Crowd Work in Europe: Preliminary Results from a Survey in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. Foundation for European Progressive Studies.

Janom, N., Azhani, R. N., Syed Aris, S. R., Bashah, N. S. K., Arshad, N. H., & Nadir, M. H. (2020). Multi-perspectives crowdsourcing ecosystem in Malaysia. Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 19(1), 435-441.

Jawad, (2013), Study on work place behavior: role of person-organization fit, person-job fit & empowerment, evidence from Pakistan, Journal of Business and Management Sciences,1(4), 47-54

Johari, L. H., Fadzil, A. S. A., & Othman, N. A. F. (2023). Examining Motivation Factors on Bidding Decision in Crowdsourcing Platforms: Can Trust Mediates Motivation Factors on Bidding Decision in Crowdsourcing Malaysia: A Conceptual Study in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Technology Management, 5(1), 8-21.

Karachiwalla, R., & Pinkow, F. (2021). Understanding crowdsourcing projects: A review on the key design elements of a crowdsourcing initiative. Creativity and innovation management, 30(3), 563-584.

Kristof-Brown, A.L., Zimmerman, R.D., & Johnson, E.C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: A meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281-342.

Kroustalis, C. M. (2009). Internet recruitment: Examining the roles of information, attitudes, and perceived fit on applicant attraction. North Carolina State University.

Kuek, S. C., Paradi-Guilford, C., Fayomi, T., Imaizumi, S., Ipeirotis, P., Pina, P., & Singh, M. (2015). The global opportunity in online outsourcing. World Bank, Washington, DC

Li, A., Jiang, W., Li, X., Chen, X., & Wang, G. (2020). Independent worker Selection In crowdsourcing. In 2020 IEEE 19th International Conference on Trust, Security and Privacy in Computing and Communications (TrustCom) (pp. 1173-1178). IEEE.

Liu, Y., & Liu, Y. (2019). The effect of workers’ justice perception on continuance participation intention in the crowdsourcing market. Internet Research, 29(6), 1485-1508.

Liu, Y., & Liu, Y. (2019). The effect of workers’ justice perception on continuance participation intention in the crowdsourcing market. Internet Research, 29(6), 1485-1508.

Lucero‐Romero, G., & Arias‐Bolzmann, L. G. (2020). Millennials' use of online social networks for job search: The Ecuadorian case. Psychology & Marketing, 37(3), 359-368.

McFerran, M. W. (2019). Job Characteristics and Turker Motivation: A Crowdsource Study of Amazon Mechanical Turk [Doctoral dissertation]. Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://repository.fit.edu/etd/321

MDEC (2021). Digital Talent Overview. Retrieved from https://mdec.my/publications

MDEC (2022). eRezeki partnership model with higher learning institutions. Retrieved from https://fke.utm.my/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/eRezeki-for-HLIs-Collaboration.pdf

Michael, S. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87, 354-374.

Montgomery, A. R. (2017). Impact of job characteristics and resources on person-job fit [Master’s Thesis]. California State University, San Bernardino. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/503

Muruganantham, G., Antony, S. P., & George, E. P. (2020). Understanding job and organizational attributes as signals from recruitment advertisement. Journal of Indian Business Research, 13(1), 134-153.

Nguyen Ngoc, T., Viet Dung, M., Rowley, C., & Pejić Bach, M. (2022). Generation Z job seekers’ expectations and their job pursuit intention: Evidence from transition and emerging economy. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 14, 18479790221112548.

Nugroho, A. H. (2018). The Influence of Employer Attractiveness, Corporate Reputation and the Use of Social Media towards Intention to Apply for a Job. International Journal of Management, Accounting & Economics, 5(7), 553–565.

Nurtjahjono, G. E., Nimran, U., Al Musadieq, M., & Utami, H. N. (2020). The effect of job characteristic, person-job fit, organizational commitment on employee performance (study of East Java BPJS employees). Journal of Public Administration Studies, 5(1), 5-7.

Parikh, A., Patel, J. D., & Jaiswal, A. K. (2021). Managing job applications online: integrating website informativeness and compatibility in theory of planned behaviour and technology acceptance model. Decision, 48, 97-113.

Pofeldt, E. (2019). Full-time Freelancing Lures More Americans. Forbes, October 5.

Porter, C., Conlon, D. & Barber, A. (2004). The dynamics of salary negotiations: effects on applicants’ justice perceptions and recruitment decisions. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 15, 273-303.

Renaud, S., Morin, L., & Fray, A. M. (2016). What most attracts potential candidates? Innovative perks, training, or ethics?. Career Development International, 21(6), 634-655.

Saks, A. M., Leck, J. D., & Saunders, D. M. (1995). Effects of application blanks and employment equity on applicant reactions and job pursuit intentions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(5), 415-430.

Schmidt, G. B., Philip, J., Van Dellen, S. A., & Islam, S. (2023). Gig worker organizing: toward an adapted Attraction-Selection-Attrition framework. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 38(1), 47-59.

Schneider, B., Goldstiein, H. W., & Smith, D. B. (1995). The ASA framework: An update. Personnel Psychology, 48(4), 747-773.

Sekaran, U. (1992). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach (2nd ed). New York: Wiley & Son, In

Shi, X., Evans, R. D., & Shan, W. (2022). What Motivates Solvers’ Participation in Crowdsourcing Platforms in China? A Motivational–Cognitive Model. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 12068 – 12080.

Song, Z., Wanberg, C., Niu, X., & Xie, Y. (2006). Action-state orientation and the theory of planned behavior: A study of job search in China. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(3), 490-503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.11.001

Stevenor, B. A., & Zickar, M. J. (2022). The development and validation of an updated job search behavior scale. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 135, 103722.

Sun, Y., Ma, X., Ye, K., & He, L. (2022). Investigating Crowdworkers' Identify, Perception and Practices in Micro-Task Crowdsourcing. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6, 1-20.

Toth, I., Heinänen, S., & Blomqvist, K. (2020). Freelancing on digital work platforms–roles of virtual community trust and work engagement on person–job fit. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 50(4), 553-567.

Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and Motivation. Wiley.

Wanberg, C. R. (2012). The individual experience of unemployment. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 369-396. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100500

Wang, M. M., & Wang, J. J. (2019). Understanding solvers' continuance intention in crowdsourcing contest platform: an extension of expectation-confirmation model. Journal Of Theoretical And Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 14(3), 17-33.

Williams, P., McDonald, P., & Mayes, R. (2021), “Recruitment in the gig economy: attraction and selection on digital platforms”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 32, pp. 4136-4162.

Woodcock, J., & Graham, M. (2019). The gig economy. A critical introduction. Cambridge: Polity.

Zhao, Y., & Zhu, Q. (2014). Evaluation on Crowdsourcing Research: Current Status and Future Direction. Information Systems Frontiers, 16(3), 417-434.

Zikic, J., & Saks, A. M. (2009). Job search and social cognitive theory: The role of career-relevant activities. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(1), 117-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.11.001

Downloads

Published

2024-06-28

How to Cite

Saad, Z., Fauzi, M. A., Osman, A. A., & Ramli, M. S. (2024). Job application intention and search behavior of crowd workers . Journal of Emerging Economies and Islamic Research, 12(2), 861. https://doi.org/10.24191/jeeir.v12i2.861