What is it about?
This article explores what motivates individuals to become entrepreneurs within the gig economy — platforms like Airbnb Experiences, Tour by Locals, and Withlocals, where individuals offer services such as tours, local activities, and experiences. Instead of using surveys or interviews, the written descriptions provided by 1,164 entrepreneurs on these platforms were analyzed. Machine learning techniques to identify common themes and patterns in how entrepreneurs describe their activities and motivations. From this analysis, the study found six main reasons why people use gig economy platforms as a way to start entrepreneurial activities: 1. Gaining and using personal experience 2. Passion for sharing with others 3. Using personal knowledge and skills 4. Preserving traditional or cultural activities 5. Building empowered local communities 6. Promoting well-being and enjoyable lifestyles The research also shows that: - Passion plays a central role in motivating gig economy entrepreneurs - Self-confidence built through experience (self-efficacy) is closely linked to passion - Most known types of entrepreneurial passion (such as passion for growth, people, innovation, and social impact) appear in the gig economy context Overall, the paper demonstrates that people in the gig economy are not only driven by income but also by personal fulfillment, learning, community, and well-being.
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Why is it important?
This research is important for several reasons: a) It improves understanding of gig economy entrepreneurship Much of the gig economy is often viewed as temporary work or side jobs. This study shows that many participants treat it as a genuine entrepreneurial pathway driven by passion, skills, and long-term motivations. b) It combines technology with entrepreneurship research By using machine learning to analyze real-world entrepreneurial content, the study offers a new way to study motivation at a large scale. This helps overcome limits of traditional surveys and captures authentic expressions from entrepreneurs themselves. c) It highlights well-being as a key factor The study points out that well-being is a significant motivator, suggesting future research and policies should consider mental health, work-life balance, and personal satisfaction — not just financial outcomes.
Perspectives
This manuscript is particularly interesting because it challenges the common assumption that gig economy work is driven mainly by financial necessity. What stands out is how strongly passion, personal experience, and self-confidence shape entrepreneurial behavior in these platforms. Many entrepreneurs are motivated by sharing what they love — whether it is local culture, skills, or lifestyle — and by creating meaningful connections with others. The use of machine learning allows the authors to uncover genuine motivations directly from entrepreneurs’ own words, rather than relying solely on structured questionnaires. This gives the study a sense of authenticity and richness. The focus on well-being is especially valuable. In a time when work stress and burnout are common, recognizing that entrepreneurship in the gig economy is linked to enjoyment, lifestyle, and personal fulfillment offers a more human-centered view of economic activity. Overall, the manuscript makes a strong contribution by blending innovative methods with real-world relevance. It deepens our understanding of why people choose entrepreneurial paths in the gig economy and provides practical insights for platforms, researchers, and policymakers seeking to support sustainable entrepreneurship.
Antonio Carrizo Moreira
Universidade Aberta
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The role of Passion and Self-Efficacy in entrepreneurial activities in the gig economy: An Unsupervised Machine Learning Analysis with Topic Modeling, Cuadernos de Gestión, September 2024, Instituto de Economia Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE),
DOI: 10.5295/cdg.231955ac.
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