Your Driver is DiDi and Minutes Away from Your Pick-Up Point: Understanding Employee Motivation in the Gig Economy of China

Second lunchtime webinar this Semester 2!

The Confucius Institute (CI) held a second webinar at the University of Southampton on 24nd March, hosted by their core teacher Ying Fu.

The webinar on ‘Your Driver is DiDi and Minutes Away from Your Pick-Up Point: Understanding Employee Motivation in the Gig Economy of China’ was given by Dr Rick Boidurjo Mukhopadhyay, who comes from Southampton Solent University.

The webinar lasted for about 40 minutes, and discussed information about the gig economy. It also explained how employee motivation levels are

managed over time as the company Didi continues to expand their operations within the gig economy. During the speech, Dr Mukhopadhyay also expressed his own understanding of Chinese culture, with the saying: “Transport a handful of earth everyday and you will make a mountain”, which was based on his life and work experience in China.

The lecture not only included academic discussion with the many who attended, but also compared Didi in China with the taxi industry in the UK, helping audiences understand the economic and social development of China.