Concordia researcher wins a Prix Relève étoile from the Fonds de recherche du Québec

Nura Jabagi, PhD candidate in business technology management, has been recognized as an Emerging Star by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ).

Jabagi, a Concordia Public Scholar alumna, received the Paul-Gerin-Lajoie Prix Relève étoile this month for her article “Gig-workers’ motivation thinking beyond carrots and sticks,” published in the Journal of Managerial Psychology in February.

The honour is part of the Prix Relève étoile contest, which rewards members of the Quebec scientific community for their outstanding contributions to the province’s research ecosystem. The contest includes three categories: Nature and Technology, Health, and Society and Culture.

In the absence of direct supervision and traditional human resources, managing workers in the emerging gig-economy is a challenge. Jabagi’s article explores how organizations can design platforms that encourage gig-workers’ self-motivation thus leading to enhanced performance and worker satisfaction.

“It is always a pleasure and an honour to hear of our graduate students receiving such recognition for their research contributions,” says Cynthia Raso, manager of Graduate Awards and Postdoctoral Studies for the university’s School of Graduate Studies.

“Nura was the recipient of Concordia’s Stand-Out Graduate Research Award this winter. To be recognized provincially with the Prix Relève étoile Paul-Gérin-Lajoie by the FRQ is a testament to her research and contributions to the advancement of knowledge.”

‘Get out from behind the computer and interact with people’

Jabagi says she feels very honoured to be the recipient of the Paul-Gerin-Lajoie Emerging Star award.

"Although my winning article focuses on the gig-economy in general, the article itself was inspired by casual conversations with Uber drivers on my daily commute,” she explains.

“Those backseat chats inspired a poster, a course project, a conference paper, and finally my first journal publication. So, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the Uber drivers of Montreal for sharing their experiences with me.”

She also acknowledged the support of faculty from the John Molson School of Business.

“I am also grateful for the feedback and support that I have had along the way from my supervisor, Anne-Marie Croteau, and my co-authors, as well as Linda Dyer and the industry judges at the JMSB’s Annual Graduate Research Exposition,” Jabagi adds.

“I believe that some of the most impactful research ideas and projects begin with conversations and observations about everyday challenges. My advice for other young scholars in the social sciences would be to remember to get out from behind the computer and interact with the people and organizations impacted by your research.”

Find out more about Concordia’s School of Graduate Studies.