Relationship between the Meaning of Work, Work Engagement, and Perceived Employability among Digital Nomads
By Kadri Koor
Abstract
The master’s thesis aim was to identify the relationships between the meaning of
work, work engagement, and the perceived employability among digital nomads.
Additionally, differences in the meaning of work among digital nomads of different ages
were explored, as well as the perceived employability differences among digital nomads of
various classifications, and and the criteria digital nomads use to select their destination
countries.
Data was collected online by the survey in English. The sample consisted of 114
digital nomads around the world. Of the respondents, 53.5% (N = 61) were women and
46.5% (N = 53) were men, with the majority falling into the age groups of 26–35 years
(36.8%, N = 42) and 36–45 years (34.2%, N = 39). The main fields of work were information
technology (28.1%, N = 32) and marketing (24.6%, N = 28). Of the respondents, 53.5% had
a digital nomad lifestyle alone (N = 61), mostly having worked in 1–3 countries (N = 63,
55.3%) and typically staying in one location for 1–3 months (N = 39, 34.2%).
As a result of the master’s thesis, all three hypotheses were confirmed. Positive
correlations were found between the meaning of work, work engagement, and perceived
employability. Additionally, it was found that older individuals perceive their work more
meaningful than younger ones. Digital nomads identified themselves primarily as employed
and worked full-time. Business owner digital nomads perceived job competitiveness the
most. In choosing a destination, digital nomads considered the cost of living, internet
accessibility, and climate the most important factors.
Full dissertation (in Estonian): PDF
Contact: Kadri Koor on LinkedIn
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