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How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push Its Drivers' Buttons *
... When exploring the antecedents of long working time in the platform context, the extant literature tends to focus predominantly on organizational factors, such as higher-goal stimulation and gamification design [10], algorithmic management [11], and compensation structure adjustment [12]. It is worth noting that gig workers' individual economic situations have often been overlooked, with only a few exceptions (please refer to Schor et al. [13] and Keith et al. [14] for more details). ...
... To be specific, gig workers' own economic circumstances (the extent to which their income depends on the platform) determine how long they work, and this process is mediated by work pressure. In other words, their time management decisions are not just affected by platform management, as demonstrated in the prior literature [10][11][12], but also by their economic circumstances, as displayed in our study. Second, we discuss how HRM practices, as boundary factors, may affect the perceptions of resource threats, enriching the research related to resource caravan passageways in COR theory. ...
... First, existing studies place more attention on how workplace context contributes to gig workers' working time [10][11][12], neglecting individuals' own situations. The lens that focuses on the economic circumstances of gig workers is essential, as many of them face viability challenges [20]. ...
Drawing upon the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper discusses the effect of platform economic dependence on working time and the mediating role of work pressure, as well as the boundary role of platform human resource management practices, with a survey of 9576 takeaway riders. The results suggest that the greater the economic dependence of takeaway riders on the platform organization, the longer they work; work pressure plays a mediating role between platform economic dependence and working time; the amount of platform rewards has no effect on the positive relationship between platform economic dependence and working time, whereas the difficulty of obtaining platform rewards strengthens the positive relationship between platform economic dependence and working time. This paper contributes to the literature on gig work by providing a micro-individual perspective and to the literature on COR theory by enriching the studies of resource caravan passageways.
... Drivers also perceive Quests as unfair based on personal and collective observations that newer or inactive drivers receive more "lucrative" promotions than loyal, consistent drivers [128]; and manipulative for they suspect platforms use dynamic algorithms to deliberately prevent drivers from completing Quests as they approach the required number of rides [128]. Given that platforms collect huge swaths of worker data to personalize gamification tactics such as individualized Quest promotions across workers based on their work history [88,108], this suspicion that their work data may also be used to hinder their progress is not entirely unfounded. Analyses of discussion board posts echo these unfair and manipulative properties of Quests [96,121], with Vasudevan and Chan [121] observing a tension between drivers: while some posted about their frustration in the effort required of Quests and disproportionate payout, others viewed this as a "hustle" as acceptable and fundamental characteristics of being self-employed workers. ...
... Drivers have also described surge pricing as pressuring them to begin or continue working, with platforms sending them incessant notifications about active surges regardless of the drivers' preferences for using it to guide their strategies [12,23,104,108]. Rosenblat and Stark [104] describe this as an exertion of "soft control" platforms use to nudge drivers to become available "without being guaranteed paid work", comparable to precarious scheduling often seen in shift work [65]. ...
In the face of rapidly advancing technologies, evidence of harms they can exacerbate, and insufficient policy to ensure accountability from tech companies, what are HCI opportunities for advancing policymaking of technology? In this paper, we explore challenges and opportunities for tech policymaking through a case study of app-based rideshare driving. We begin with background on rideshare platforms and how they operate. Next, we review literature on algorithmic management about how rideshare drivers actually experience platform features -- often to the detriment of their well-being -- and ways they respond. In light of this, researchers and advocates have called for increased worker protections, thus we turn to rideshare policy and regulation efforts in the U.S. Here, we differentiate the political strategies of platforms with those of drivers to illustrate the conflicting narratives policymakers face when trying to oversee gig work platforms. We reflect that past methods surfacing drivers' experiences may be insufficient for policymaker needs when developing oversight. To address this gap and our original inquiry -- what are HCI opportunities for advancing tech policymaking -- we briefly explore two paths forward for holding tech companies accountable in the rideshare context: (1) data transparency initiatives to enable collective auditing by workers and (2) legal frameworks for holding platforms accountable.
... Una de las principales características en este tipo de plataformas digitales, que afirma la tesis del control, es el uso de juegos 15 para mantener a las personas conectadas en la aplicación (Scheiber, 2017). La literatura ha denominado a esta estrategia gamification 14 Durante esta etapa, señala la literatura que empieza a introducirse en las empresas la denominada "clase gerencial" (Clawson, 1980;Edwards, 1979). ...
... 15 El temprano reportaje del diario New York Times narra como las aplicaciones han utilizado expertos en ciencia de datos y economía conductual para lograr que sus usuarios continúen trabajando con la aplicación. Uno de los ejemplos del reportaje son los mensajes que aparecen en la aplicación antes de cerrarla, indicando que está por ganar un bono, o comparando sus ganancias de semanas previas (Scheiber, 2017). -término en inglés que hace referencia al empleo de metas o prácticas lúdicas con la finalidad mantener al sujeto prestando servicios por mayor tiempo (Mogollón, 2022). ...
Hasta mediados del siglo XX, la preeminencia del clásico trabajo asalariado volvió marginal el interés de la doctrina en el estudio de la subordinación o definición del trabajador. De esta manera, durante décadas, las fronteras del Derecho del Trabajo tuvieron una demarcación pacífica. Sin embargo, con el surgimiento y auge de las nuevas formas de organización productiva, este consenso ha entrado en disputa. Así, la reconfiguración del mundo laboral invita a discutir el fundamento de la subordinación. Esta investigación propone una reconceptualización a partir del concepto de proceso del trabajo (labor process). Para ello, se plantea una revisión de las bases teóricas planteadas por la literatura clásica de Derecho del Trabajo latinoamericano, resaltando que, en su construcción, la definición propuesta no fue sustentada en base a una teoría. Luego, se evidencia cómo esta deficiencia tiene un correlato en la literatura contemporánea expresada en las tesis de los “nuevos indicios” como fórmula para abarcar las nuevas formas de prestación del trabajo. Desde esta perspectiva, esta propuesta permite reorientar la discusión sobre el concepto de trabajo subordinado.
... Consistent with this, prior work has shown gig work/temporary work is associated with poor health (Davis & Hoyt, 2020) and greater stress due to earnings uncertainty (Bosmans et al., 2017). Experimental work has shown that workers persist longer on tasks when rewards are uncertain (Corgnet et al., 2020), and some gig economy companies appear to utilize this pattern to their advantage by pushing individuals to work longer (see also Scheiber, 2017). Interestingly, one study found that those who were self-employed had improved cognitive functioning among older adults, potentially due to the problem solving and self-direction required, but also found overall negative health effects of self-employment on general and mental health, likely due to the uncertainty of self-employment (Ahn, 2020). ...
... A pay-forperformance plan with unachievable goals to obtain a large bonus might encourage participants to overinvest resources that will not be returned-resulting in increased allostatic load without adequate recovery. Compensation strategies for rideshare drivers, for example, are designed to nudge drivers to work longer (Scheiber, 2017)-but with insufficient returns on investment, resources will This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers. ...
The organizational sciences have long been interested in the effects of various compensation strategies, and on enhancing employee health. Research examining the connection between pay and health, however, remains a relative rarity. The work that has been done is scattered across disparate disciplines and lacks a unified framework for systematically exploring the effects of pay on health. We argue that greater insecurity at work, as well as rising discontent over wages and work conditions, necessitates a richer understanding of the ways in which organizational pay affects employee psychological, physiological, and behavioral health. We first conduct a comprehensive review of existing research across a broad range of disciplines, taking note of the different ways that pay is conceptualized and the impact it has on employee health. We identify critical knowledge gaps in why and when pay is related to health, noting several disciplinary trends. Drawing on prominent theories of occupational health, we then build a theoretical framework that illustrates three mechanisms underlying the effect of pay on health. We further advance prior work by integrating allostatic load theory to explain how pay gets “under the skin” to affect health, while also identifying relevant moderators and boundary conditions. Taken together, our review integrates findings from a variety of disciplines and facilitates knowledge building across these fields to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the connection between pay and health.
... To avoid classifying gig workers as employees, platforms limit the formality of their direct oversight and task structuring for gig workers (Meijerink et al., 2021;Scheiber, 2017). Although gig platforms provide a marketplace to facilitate a match between clients and workers, they do not provide the level of strategy, goal-setting, and direction towards objectives (e.g. ...
... This stands in contrast to the performance and human capital management strategies of gig work platforms, which do not create or encourage the interpersonal dynamics which give rise to leadership. Instead, platforms imbue the gig worker experience with cues and nudges orchestrated by software in a process known as 'algorithmic management' (Duggan et al., 2020;Meijerink et al., 2021;Scheiber, 2017). Algorithmic management often relies on results-only performance evaluation (Duggan et al., 2020), and forces workers to carefully manage their platform-specific reputations and skills to access work and select tasks that best suit them . ...
The nature of gig work – temporary, task-based work that is facilitated by applications and platforms – lacks the structural, interpersonal, and organizational dynamics of leader- ship. Instead, algorithms and software are the primary source of organizational and informational resources for a gig worker in a process known as ‘algorithmic management’. Job performance and career success depends primarily on the individual gig worker’s ability to establish objectives, identify strategies, and develop skills for job performance on their own. As such, success in gig work is likely to be connected to self-leadership ability. Drawing on the psycho- logical perspectives of control theory and conservation of resources theory, we find that the agency provided by self-leadership is generally beneficial to rideshare drivers (N=924) in that it increases both well-being and the intention to seek non-gig work. However, enacting this agency as a leaderless worker is an intensive process, and can either be a resource gain or drain. We find that workers experience better or worse outcomes, respectively, under circumstances of high job satisfaction or high financial stress. Implications and directions for future HRM research and practice among other gig and traditional worker populations are discussed.
... In particular, Uber has been the most researched platform, and both news reports (e.g. Scheiber, 2017) and academic research (Parth & Bathini, 2021;Uzunca & Kas, 2023) have gradually built a profile of a company intent on maximizing profits by paying drivers only just enough to keep them on the platform. Indeed there have been detailed industry accounts in the US market that during the year 2023 Uber engaged in systematic wage compression to increase company profits (Sherman, 2023(Sherman, , 2024. ...
This paper explores the intersection of Internal Brand Management (IBM) and the Sharing Economy, specifically how platform organizations ensure brand-aligned service while relying on gig workers. Basic IBM relationships are examined for continued validity in two ride-hailing platforms. Potential mod-erators are explored, including electronic performance monitoring , qualitative job insecurity, and platform fairness. Findings reveal that IBM relationships persist, offering a scalable solution for consistent brand delivery. Moderating effects are identified, offering insights for platform managers and prompting avenues for future research. With growth of the gig economy, understanding the adaptability of IBM in platform contexts is crucial for brand success.
... Casey (2017) noted the companies' insistence as platforms helps them evade worker compensation obligations such as minimum payment and other benefits, which those advocating for driver classification as employees seek to obtain (Raymond 2024). As independent contractors, drivers on the app tend to be poorly compensated (Shokoohyar 2018) and work in poor conditions (Scheiber 2017). Raval and Dourish (2016) point out that traditional labor issues become amplified in labor where workers' possessions become a site of work. ...
... Examples of nudge frameworks include drawing attention to social norms, providing default settings, giving reminders, and providing feedback [21,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. Widely used in other settings, evidence has grown that nudges can be effective tools for shaping clinician behavior including promoting adherence to guidelines and other recommended standards of care [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. ...
Background
Substantial variation exists in surgeon decision making. In response, multiple specialty societies have established criteria for the appropriate use of spine surgery. Yet few strategies exist to facilitate routine use of appropriateness criteria by surgeons. Behavioral science nudges are increasingly used to enhance decision making by clinicians. We sought to design “surgical appropriateness nudges” to support routine use of appropriateness criteria for degenerative lumbar scoliosis and spondylolisthesis.
Methods
The work reflected Stage I of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development and involved an iterative, multi-method approach, emphasizing qualitative methods. Study sites included two large referral centers for spine surgery. We recruited spine surgeons from both sites for two rounds of focus groups. To produce preliminary nudge prototypes, we examined sources of variation in surgeon decision making (Focus Group 1) and synthesized existing knowledge of appropriateness criteria, behavioral science nudge frameworks, electronic tools, and the surgical workflow. We refined nudge prototypes via feedback from content experts, site leaders, and spine surgeons (Focus Group 2). Concurrently, we collected data on surgical practices and outcomes at study sites. We pilot tested the refined nudge prototypes among spine surgeons, and surveyed them about nudge applicability, acceptability, and feasibility (scale 1–5, 5 = strongly agree).
Results
Fifteen surgeons participated in focus groups, giving substantive input and feedback on nudge design. Refined nudge prototypes included: individualized surgeon score cards (frameworks: descriptive social norms/peer comparison/feedback), online calculators embedded in the EHR (decision aid/mapping), a multispecialty case conference (injunctive norms/social influence), and a preoperative check (reminders/ salience of information/ accountable justification). Two nudges (score cards, preop checks) incorporated data on surgeon practices and outcomes. Six surgeons pilot tested the refined nudges, and five completed the survey (83%). The overall mean score was 4.0 (standard deviation [SD] 0.5), with scores of 3.9 (SD 0.5) for applicability, 4.1 (SD 0.5) for acceptability, and 4.0 (SD 0.5), for feasibility. Conferences had the highest scores 4.3 (SD 0.6) and calculators the lowest 3.9 (SD 0.4).
Conclusions
Behavioral science nudges might be a promising strategy for facilitating incorporation of appropriateness criteria into the surgical workflow of spine surgeons. Future stages in intervention development will test whether these surgical appropriateness nudges can be implemented in practice and influence surgical decision making.
... It is in Uber's interest to have more drivers on the road at any given time in order to reduce passenger wait times, whereas for drivers, such increased supply means more downtime spent waiting for rides. 110 Moreover, Uber's optimal number of drivers on the road may not correspond to the social optimum, when one takes into account externalities such as traffic congestion, accidents, and pollution. In short, supply management by platforms may be inefficient. ...
... Secondly, the platforms "transform wage labour into a game, in an often manipulative, behaviouristic manner" (Schmidt 2017, 12), for instance, by incentivizing the drivers on completing a certain number of rides and compelling them to work for longer hours. Scheiber (2017) describes this phenomenon in context to Uber as: ...
... For example, a driver who is about to log off the app will receive a notification like: 'You're $10 away from making $330 in net earnings. Are you sure you want to go offline?' (Scheiber 2017). Data monitoring is thus not only used for tracking purposes, but also to influence workers' behaviour (Mateescu and Nguyen 2019). ...
The article explores the normative concerns raised for gig workers by algorithmic management (AM), by embracing an ethnographically sensitive approach to philosophical inquiry approach to philosophical inquiry. Inspired by Michel de Certeau’s concept of ‘tactics’, the article suggests interpreting workers’ attempts to ‘trick the algorithm’ and escape some of AM’s constraints as ways to reclaim agency, in the absence of suitable organizational conditions for its affirmative exercise. The kind of agency specifically deployed by workers in cooperative settings is referred to as ‘contributive agency’, broadly defined as workers’ control over their contribution in multiple dimensions – epistemic, relational, participatory and protective. Contributive agentic capacities are not mere properties of agents, but organizationally mediated capacities that can be more or less enabled or constrained depending on the contributive context. It is argued that below a certain threshold, AM’s agency-constraining features are objectionable and desirable agency-enabling organizational conditions are identified in the four dimensions.
... Our study aims to contribute to the IS literature by deciphering workers' coping behaviors in AM-based work settings by identifying situations and circumstances that help workers find enjoyment, thus leading to continued employment-despite high demands and low resources. Further, it is assumed that the current developments in the realm of AM-based work settings are just the beginning and that AM will increasingly shape the future of work (Scheiber, 2017), thus making it necessary to put workers in the spotlight. ...
Companies increasingly rely on algorithmic management (AM) to efficiently control and coordinate workers, especially in the quick commerce sector, where workers are required to work particularly fast. AM often implies that workers face cognitive demands, such as behavioral constraints imposed by a tight management regime, or significant physical demands, such as a high work pace. Against this backdrop, we interviewed 18 food delivery couriers about how they try to cope with these demands. We find that, despite AM-induced behavioral constraints, workers engage in job crafting to better cope with demanding work conditions, to enrich work roles, and to add or extend resources, thereby increasing their job satisfaction and the perceived meaningfulness of their work. In contrast to previous studies where job crafting is strategically enacted by workers for long-term benefits, our study finds that jobs can also be successfully crafted short-term in an ad hoc manner.
... For example, Uber has been documented charging consumers on low mobile battery more, having discovered that they are more likely to pay higher prices (Calo & Rosenblat, 2017, p. 1629. Similarly, both Uber and Lyft experiment with psychological tricks to learn about and manipulate their drivers, such as employing loss instead of gain frames and dispatching new pickups to drivers before their current dropoff (Scheiber, 2017). ...
There is little debate that digital technologies are transforming contemporary economies and societies. However, scholars have only recently begun to systematically think about how digitalization-the process whereby more and more of what we say, think, and do becomes mediated by digital technologies-is both driven by and transformative of capitalism. This paper argues that three digital revolutions-the platform, (big) data, and artificial intelligence revolutions-have given rise to digital capitalism. Under digital capitalism, platform-based, data-driven, and artificial-intelligence-powered business models capture an increasing share of profits, directly or indirectly control an increasing share of economic life, and increasingly serve as role models for both start-ups and established companies. Reviewing and systematizing the social-scientific literature on capitalism and digitalization, the paper offers a conceptual framework that scholars and practitioners can use to better understand and analyze the drivers, dynamics, and challenges of digital capitalism.
... Nudging techniques are increasingly used in the design of digital platforms. For instance, Uber has been known to deploy a variety of data-driven nudges to discourage drivers from finishing their shifts, even when it is in the drivers' best interest [25]. One of these nudges involved informing the driver how close they were to reaching some arbitrary money target, e.g., "You are $6 away from making $40 in net earnings", thereby framing the decision to log off as a loss, which is known to increase motivation more than gain framings [26]. ...
Concerns about threats to human autonomy feature prominently in the field of AI ethics. One aspect of this concern relates to the use of AI systems for problematically manipulative influence. In response to this, the European Union’s draft AI Act (AIA) includes a prohibition on AI systems deploying subliminal techniques that alter people’s behavior in ways that are reasonably likely to cause harm (Article 5(1)(a)). Critics have argued that the term ‘subliminal techniques’ is too narrow to capture the target cases of AI-based manipulation. We propose a definition of ‘subliminal techniques’ that (a) is grounded on a plausible interpretation of the legal text; (b) addresses all or most of the underlying ethical concerns motivating the prohibition; (c) is defensible from a scientific and philosophical perspective; and (d) does not over-reach in ways that impose excessive administrative and regulatory burdens. The definition is meant to provide guidance for design teams seeking to pursue responsible and ethically aligned AI innovation.
... as tablets, scanners or wearable devices (Delfanti, 2021). While AC adoption in practice, especially in traditional organizations is still in its infancy, some expect that using algorithms and technology may become the 'new normal' in terms of how organizations manage and control the behaviors of their workforce (Scheiber, 2017, Benlian et al., 2022, Jarrahi et al., 2021, Bucher et al., 2020. Given the novelty of the research area, it seems unsurprising that, to this point, there is still a relative paucity of conceptual AC frameworks. ...
Algorithmic control (AC) is an emerging phenomenon shaping the future of work. While AC is already well established in the platform economy, it is also gaining traction in traditional organizations. Given that AC represents a new phenomenon, it still suffers from a relatively immature conceptual basis. Here, an up-and-coming conceptual AC framework is the so-called “6R” framework by Kellogg et al. (2020).
This framework, however, has not been conceptually and empirically validated yet, which is the focus of the study at hand. To validate the 6R framework, we use a combination of a literature review (topdown) and interviews (bottom-up). Our study sets forth to refine and extend the framework, resulting in an updated 5RSM framework of AC. The proposed framework represents an updated conceptualization
of AC, applicable to both platform and traditional work settings, and lays the foundation for future research, including scale development.
... Secondly, the platforms "transform wage labour into a game, in an often manipulative, behaviouristic manner" (Schmidt 2017, 12), for instance, by incentivizing the drivers on completing a certain number of rides and compelling them to work for longer hours. Scheiber (2017) describes this phenomenon in context to Uber as: ...
... Secondly, the platforms "transform wage labour into a game, in an often manipulative, behaviouristic manner" (Schmidt 2017, 12), for instance, by incentivizing the drivers on completing a certain number of rides and compelling them to work for longer hours. Scheiber (2017) describes this phenomenon in context to Uber as: ...
The future of work is at the centre of debates related to the emerging digital society. Concerns range from the inclusion, equity, and dignity of those at the far end of the value chain, who participate on and off platforms, often in the shadows, invisible to policymakers, designers, and consumers. Precarity and informality characterize this largely female workforce, across sectors ranging from artisanal work to salon services to ride hailing and construction. A feminist reimagining of the futures of work—what we term as “FemWork” —is the need of the day and should manifest in multiple and various forms, placing the worker at the core and drawing on her experiences, aspirations, and realities. This volume offers grounded insights from academic, activist, legal, development and design perspectives that can help us think through these inclusive futures and possibly create digital, social, and governance infrastructures of work that are fairer and more meaningful.
... Employing hundreds of social and data scientists, Uber has experimented with video gamification, graphics and noncash rewards to prod drivers. Like players on video game platforms, Uber drivers can earn badges for achievements like Above and Beyond (denoted on the app by a cartoon of a rocket blasting off), Excellent Service (marked by a picture of a sparkling diamond) and Entertaining Drive (a pair of Groucho Marx glasses with nose and eyebrows) (Scheiber, 2017). Finally, the help menu and the Q&A chatbots that facilitate communication between drivers and Uber are part of a wider concern with workers' authority and legal status. ...
... Thus, in wrapped datafied/infospheric working environments there may be cases with high optionality but with low autonomy. For example, soft control mechanisms over workers' routine, including persuasive pop-ups ads or nudging techniques, have been employed by Uber for steering drivers to have diverse booking options and more flexibility (Scheiber 2017;Webster 2020). Some have noted that this can lead to power asymmetries and structure control over workers. ...
A recent interpretation of artificial intelligence (AI) (Floridi 2013, 2022) suggests that the implementation of AI demands the investigation of the binding conditions that make it possible to build and integrate artifacts into our lived world. Such artifacts can successfully interact with the world because our environment has been designed to be compatible with intelligent machines (such as robots). As the use of AI becomes ubiquitous in society, possibly leading to the formation of increasingly intelligent bio-technological unions, there will likely be a coexistence of a plethora of micro-environments wrapped and tailored around humans and basic robots. The key element of this pervasive process will be the capacity to integrate biological realms in an infosphere suitable for the implementation of AI technologies. This process will require extensive datafication. This is because data is the basis of the logical-mathematical codes and models that drive and guide AI. This process will have huge consequences on workplaces, on workers, as well as on the decision-making processes required for the functioning of future societies. In this paper we will offer a comprehensive reflection on the moral and social implications of datafication as well as a set of considerations about its desirability, which will be informed by the following insights: (1) full protection of privacy may become structurally impossible, thus leading to undesirable forms of political and social control; (2) worker’s freedom may be reduced; (3) human creativity, imagination, and even divergence from AI logic might be channeled and possibly discouraged; (4) there will likely be a push towards efficiency and instrumental reason, which will become preeminent in production lines as well as in society.
... To illustrate how organisational self-interest can distort authorship, we may consider some of the ways ridesharing companies use digital nudges to influence their gig-economy drivers (Dieuaide & Azaïs, 2020;Scheiber, 2017). Although these drivers are often classified as self-employed, they may still have dependent relationships with the facilitating organisations and can thus be considered "quasiemployees" (Dieuaide & Azaïs, 2020). ...
Organisations increasingly use digital nudges to influence their workforces’ behaviour without coercion or incentives. This can expose employees to arbitrary domination by infringing on their autonomy through manipulation and indoctrination. Nudges might furthermore give rise to the phenomenon of “organised immaturity.” Adopting a balanced approach between overly optimistic and dystopian standpoints, I propose a framework for determining the moral permissibility of digital nudging in the workplace. In this regard, I argue that not only should organisations provide pre-discursive justification of nudges but they should also ensure that employees can challenge their implementation whenever necessary through legitimation procedures. Building on Rainer Forst’s concept of the right to justification, this article offers a way to combine contract- and deliberation-based theories for addressing questions in business ethics. I further introduce the concept of meta-autonomy as a capacity that employees can acquire to counter threats of arbitrary domination and to mitigate organised immaturity.
... En el caso particular de las plataformas de delivery, algunas de estas modificaciones, siempre arbitrarias y unidireccionales, fueron las motorizadoras del descontento y el germen para la organización colectiva de las personas trabajadoras (Diana Menéndez, Arias y Haidar 2022). En el caso de Uber, la bibliografía ha mostrado como, basados en estudios sobre economía del comportamiento y en el manejo del big data, la empresa emplea técnicas de estímulo y gamificación, inspiradas en las estrategias utilizadas en los videojuegos, las cuales incitan a que las personas conductoras trabajen más tiempo y en determinados lugares para beneficio de la empresa (Rosenblat y Stark 2016;Scheiber 2017). Un caso que menciona Scheiber (2017) es muy elocuente: «Uber comprobó que muchos choferes nuevos apagaban la aplicación antes de completar los 25 viajes que les permitirían ganar un bono. ...
Introducción: La economía de plataformas ha invadido las relaciones sociales de todo orden. Producto de la revolución informacional, la inteligencia artificial y el big data[1], las plataformas constituyen un signo de época que atraviesa y profundiza el conjunto de las relaciones mercantiles preexistentes, a la vez que mercantiliza una serie de actividades que, hasta su llegada, se encontraban ajenas a la lógica extractiva de datos. Las consecuencias de esta irrupción para el mundo del trabajo son múltiples y profundas. Objetivos: Aquí nos proponemos analizar las prácticas de control y las condiciones de trabajo en UBER, una empresa que constituye un paradigma de las nuevas lógicas de gestión del trabajo a través de plataformas digitales. Metodología: El estudio es de carácter cualitativo, se basa en diez entrevistas en profundidad realizadas durante los años 2019 y 2020 a personas que conducen para UBER, en las cuales se indagó, entre otras dimensiones, sobre condiciones de trabajo, mecanismos de control y sentidos del trabajo. Asimismo, se realizó el seguimiento periódico de dos foros de conductores y pasajeros. Resultados: A lo largo del escrito se observa una multiplicidad de prácticas cotidianas desarrolladas por la empresa Uber para incidir en los comportamientos y controlar la actividad de las personas conductoras. Se verifica la capacidad de la plataforma para gestionar algorítmicamente el trabajo de modo masivo y personalizado, con efectos significativos sobre las condiciones de trabajo. [Continúa leyendo en el artículo]
... Ardından, Uber uygulamasında iki seçenek bulunmaktaydı: "çevrimdışı ol" ve "sürmeye devam et». Ancak, Uber göndermiş olduğu bildirim ile birlikte işçilerin "sürmeye devam etmesini" istemektedir (Scheiber, 2017;Khreiche, 2018: 52). Uber'in hem sürüş esnasında yönlendirdiği yeni yolculuk talepleri, hem de çevrimiçi kalış süresini uzatmaya yönelik gönderdiği bildirimlerdeki esas sorun, yeni yolculuk talebinin içeriğinin gizli tutulmasıdır. ...
Bu çalışmanın amacı, son yıllarda yaygınlaşan gig ekonomisinin kavramsal çerçevesinin çizilmesi, kavramın incelenmesi ve çalışma ilişkilerine getirdiği etkilerin belirlenmesidir. Çalışma, gig ekonomisine ilişkin literatür taramasından oluşmaktadır. Gig ekonomisi platformlarında meydana gelen çalışma ilişkisinin tek taraflı inşa edildiği, mevcut çalışma ilişkilerini zayıflattığı, ücretlerde dibe doğru yarışın egemen olduğu ve emeği metalaştırıcı eğilimlerin hız kazandığı bu duruma karşı gig işçilerinin gerek hukuksal mücadeleleri gerekse kolektif mücadeleleri güçlenerek devam etmesi incelemeyi önemli kılmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, çalışmada öncelikli olarak, gig ekonomisi kavramı açıklanmış, kavrama yönelik gerçekleştirilen tartışmalara değinilmiş ve çalışma ilişkilerinde yarattığı dönüşüme yer verilmiştir. İkinci olarak, gig ekonomisi bağlamında gig çalışmasının unsurlarından olan güvencesizlik ve esneklik irdelenmiştir. Ardından, gig ekonomisi platformları arasında yer alan Uber, Deliveroo ve Amazon Mechanical Turk incelenmiştir. İncelenen platformlarda çalışma ilişkileri, hukuksal mücadeleler ve sendikalaşma ve toplu sözleşme süreçleri detaylıca açıklanmıştır. Son olarak, gig ekonomisi çalışma ilişkilerine etkisi bağlamında, hukuksal, istihdam, ücret, sendikalaşma ve toplu sözleşme, sosyal güvenlik, iş sağlığı ve güvenlik boyutları kapsamlı biçimde değerlendirilmiştir.
Engilish- Abstract:
The aim of this study is to draw the conceptual framework of the gig economy, which has become widespread in recent years, to examine the concept and to determine the effects it brings to labor relations. The study consists of a literature review on the gig economy. The fact that both the legal struggles and the collective struggles of gig workers continue by getting stronger against this situation in which the labor relationship that occurs on gig economy platforms is built unilaterally, weakens the existing labor relations, the race to the bottom is dominant in wages and the commoditizing tendencies of labor gain momentum makes it important to examine. In this direction, firstly, the concept of gig economy is explained in the study, the discussions about the concept are mentioned and the transformation it creates in labor relations is given. Secondly, insecurity and flexibility, which are the elements of gig work, are examined in the context of the gig economy. Then, Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon Mechanical Turk, which are among the gig economy platforms, were examined. Labor relations, legal struggles, unionization and collective bargaining processes are explained in detail on the platforms examined. Finally, the legal, employment, wage, unionization and collective bargaining, social security, occupational health and safety dimensions have been comprehensively evaluated in the context of the gig economy's impact on labor relations.
We illustrate the exploitation in the relationship between Uber and its drivers by aligning their work with the characteristics of neo‐villeiny. Two different legal developments in response to irregulation (or the lack of effective regulation) in similar institutional contexts emerge. While Uber drivers in the United Kingdom now have worker status, dysregulation (by which we mean regulation that exacerbates the problem it seeks to resolve) in Ontario has established neo‐villeiny in law.
Migrants’ engagement in digital platform work is pervasive in many cities around the world and certainly in Canada's metropoles (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal). While highly precarious, platform work has been shown to offer pathways into labor market integration for newly arrived migrants. Based on 62 qualitative interviews with digital platform workers, this article compares the work experiences of newcomers, settled migrants and nonmigrants engaged in platform work in Canada's three largest cities. The study examines how the different stages of their immigration journey shape the ways in which migrants (versus non migrants) perceive and evaluate their engagement in digital platforms. Satisfying urgent needs, achieving stability and allowing for personal development are three key elements that emerge from this study. These findings invite us to consider what are the main elements in current notions of “quality work” among migrants and nonmigrants and to consider how platforms shape broader labor market integration processes
Chapter 4 discusses the important role of the emerging online transport service in furthering the expansion of the new precarity in Indonesia. It points to the role of the gig economy in institutionalising the earlier form of precarious work in the pervasive informal sector, thereby, facilitating its extension into the formal sector. This chapter also examines contradictions in workers’ experiences of work and in their self-identities, created by the exercise of a distinct form of managerial control in the gig economy. Though consenting to the companies’ goals to extract their labour at minimal cost, degrading working conditions fuel a sense of discontentment among workers.
Wheelchair accessibility of transportation service hailed using Uber and Lyft is fraught with contention. In this research, I interview 12 drivers on the apps who work in Washington, DC to understand their experience and perception about issues surrounding service to wheelchair users. Some drivers experience transporting wheelchair users as markedly different from service to non-wheelchair users due to the uncompensated labor they perform when assisting wheelchair users and the additional time required. They perceive service decline by drivers to possibly stem from lack of compensation for their time and work. One solution to address the problem could be to use app-technology to keep a record of ride requests by wheelchair users who volunteer to disclose disability status and incentivize drivers for completed rides. The overarching purpose of the study is to create knowledge that can contribute to overcoming potential barriers to full inclusion of disabled riders in the app-hailed transportation.
Current mainstream research on on‐demand labor platforms primarily focuses on the discussion of algorithmic technologies while overlooking the issue of how platforms achieve stable operations in a de‐employment context. Addressing this research gap, this study investigates the approaches employed by Chinese food‐delivery platforms to ensure stable labor supply. Utilizing qualitative data, the research reveals that Chinese food‐delivery platforms have established stability in labor supply by implementing the outsourced model, partnering with third‐party staffing agencies to establish service stations, and managing couriers offline. This approach helps to balance platform and courier needs, addressing the tension between work flexibility and income stability. This research provides a case study illuminating the interplay between technology and the labor market in labor relations. Additionally, it highlights the structural forces that workers form within the internal labor market, deepening our understanding of platform management and the complexities of labor relations.
The technology-driven gig-platform sector has emerged as a new source of employment generation both globally as well domestically. This recent transformation in the labour market is reshaping the nature of labour practices, labour relations, workers’ rights, and contracts. The sector has huge potential to generate millions of job opportunities by leveraging the use of digital technology. As this sector continues to generate more jobs, such jobs are portrayed as fostering economic growth, while creating ‘meaningful jobs,’ which are mutually beneficial to workers and employers in terms of providing ‘flexibility and freedom,’ ‘better earning opportunity,’ and ‘promoting social inclusion,’ by which it implies that women are increasingly equipped to find better jobs. This article critically examines the developmental roles of platform jobs which are being particularly highlighted within the policy circle, in academic literature, and tech companies through workers’ lens. It delves deeper into the discussion on those very aspects of platform jobs just listed, including the flexibility and freedom debate, workers’ income, and the gender aspect of jobs. In doing so, it carefully examines these aspects with respect to their implications on workers in terms of working conditions and regulatory aspects. The article brings out the workers’ precarity hidden within those developmental aspects of gig-platform jobs.
Appuyé sur l’analyse des pratiques de travailleurs Uber du Québec, cet article propose de cerner les enjeux de santé soulevés par l’organisation du travail sur la plateforme. Les résultats pointent vers des problèmes de dépendance à l’activité, de désocialisation et de solitude, et montrent en quoi la plateformisation du travail contribue à détourner le sens du et au travail, en faisant passer le collectif pour une menace plutôt qu’une ressource. Autant de situations menaçantes pour la santé, d’autant plus pernicieuses que le système paradoxant de Uber rend difficile la mise à jour des contradictions qui en sont la source.
Accountability systems are the core mechanisms by which workers are motivated and controlled. Sourced from customer ratings and powered by algorithmic control, the accountability systems of labor platforms are a substantial departure from those designed by human resources departments for use in traditional organizations. While considerable attention has been paid to the impacts of algorithmic control, it is ultimately a worker’s felt accountability that influences their behaviors and attitudes in the workplace. However, to date, there has been an absence of theory that explains how labor platforms’ accountability systems result in felt accountability. As such, our paper starts with an examination of the underexplored link between accountability systems and workers’ felt accountability. We next argue that features of the accountability environment (source, intensity, salience, and focus) can be described both objectively and phenomenologically. We then make use of this distinction to detail the differences between the accountability systems of labor platforms and traditional organizations and theorize about resultant differences in workers’ felt accountability. Finally, we discuss implications for the accountability and human resource management literatures, including the importance of the unexpected similarity between traditional workers’ and platform workers’ felt accountability.
This article uses data from a natural experiment to address one of the most contentious issues in the on-demand platform economy—whether gig work is compatible with standard employment. We analyze a US-based package delivery platform that shifted a subset of its workers from independent contractors to employees, thereby creating a natural experiment that allowed us to exploit variation over time and across locations. We examine the impact of employment status on work scheduling practices, hours of work and the firm’s ability to match workers’ scheduled hours with the amount of time they were actively engaged in parcel delivery. We find that after the transition to employment, flexibility with respect to how work schedules were determined was maintained, and drivers’ total hours of work increased. We also find that the switch to employee status increased the firm’s ability to match scheduled and actual working time, indicating greater operational efficiency. We conclude, contrary to claims commonly made by platform firms, that employment status can coexist with the platform model.
The rapid spread of misinformation online can be attributed to bias in human decision-making, facilitated by algorithmic processes. The area of human-computer interaction has contributed a mechanism of such biases that can be addressed by the design of system interventions. For example, the principle of nudging refers to sophisticated modifications in the choice architecture that can change user behaviors in desired or directed ways. This chapter discusses the design of nudging interventions in the context of misinformation, including a systematic review of the use of nudging in human-AI interaction that has led to a design framework. By using algorithms that work invisibly, nudges can be maneuvered in misinformation to individuals, and their effectiveness can be traced and attuned as the algorithm improves from user feedback based on a user’s behavior. It seeks to explore the potential of nudging in decreasing the chances of consuming and spreading misinformation. The key is how to ensure that algorithmic nudges are used in an effective way and whether the nudge could also help to achieve a sustainable way of life. This chapter discusses the principles and dimensions of the nudging effects of AI systems on user behavior in response to misinformation.
This chapter introduces the principle of diversity-aware AI and discusses the need to develop recommendation models to embed AI with diversity awareness to mitigate misinformation. Free and plural ideas are key to addressing misinformation and informing users. A key indicator of the healthy online ecosystem is the existence of diversity of ideas and others’ perspectives. Exposure to diverse sources of news promotes tolerance, social cohesion, and harmonious accord of different ideologies, perspectives, and cultures. Diversity in news recommender systems (NRS) is perceived as a major issue for the preservation of a healthy democratic discourse. In this light of importance, this chapter proposes a conceptual framework for personalized recommendation nudges that can promote diverse news consumption on online platforms. It empirically tests the effects of algorithmic nudges by examining how users make sense of algorithmic nudges and how nudges influence users’ views on personalization and attitudes toward news diversity. The findings show that algorithmic nudges play a key role in understanding normative values in NRS, which then influence the user’s intention to consume diverse news. The findings imply the personalization paradox that personalized news recommendations can enhance and decrease user engagement with the systems. This paradox provides conceptual and operational bases for diversity-aware NRS design, enhancing the diversity and personalization of news recommendations. It proposes a conceptual framework of algorithmic nudges and news diversity, and from there, we develop theoretically grounded paths for facilitating diversity and inclusion in NRS.
We examine job quality effects of new digital technologies, using the European frame of seven job quality domains: Pay, Working Time Quality, Prospects, Skills and Discretion, Work Intensity, Social Environment, and Physical Environment. Theoretical effects are ambivalent across all domains. The analysis of these effects confirms that digital technologies can both improve and harm job quality depending on how they are used. In light of this analysis and to think through the challenge of regulating digital technologies, we review emerging regulations across several European countries. Drawing on the principles of human-centred design, we argue that worker participation is important for securing good job quality outcomes, at both the innovation and adoption stages. We also consider the application of data protection legislation to the regulation of job quality. Overall, the paper extends debate about the future of work beyond employment and pay, on to a consideration of job quality more broadly.
Este artículo ofrece un balance jurisprudencial sobre el trabajo en plataformas a través del análisis de 55 fallos de jueces alrededor del mundo y concluye que los jueces, mayoritariamente, han encontrado que existe una relación laboral entre domiciliarios y conductores y las empresas propietarias de las plataformas. En el texto sintetizamos
os argumentos de las partes en los procesos judiciales, presentamos el material probatorio en el que se sustentan las sentencias y analizamos los argumentos utilizados por los jueces para declarar si existe (o no) una relación laboral. Para ofrecer distintas muestras del razonamiento jurídico realizado por los diferentes jueces, ofrecemos citas textuales de muchos de los fallos analizados. La revisión incluye cincuenta y cinco sentencias adoptadas por tribunales alrededor del mundo entre abril de 2016 y febrero de 2022. Palabras clave Trabajo en plataformas, subordinación, derecho laboral, subordinación algorítmica.
This article presents a jurisprudential balance on work on platforms through the analysis of fifty-five decisions of judges around the world. It concludes that judges, for the most part, have found that there is an employment relationship between domiciliaries and drivers and the companies that own the platforms. In the text we synthesize the arguments of the parties in the judicial processes, we present the evidentiary material on which the sentences are based, and we analyze the arguments used by the judges to establish whether there is an employment relationship or not. To offer different samples of the legal reasoning embodied in the cases, we offer verbatim quotes from many of the rulings analyzed. The review includes fifty-five decisions adopted by courts around the world between
Esta dissertação, com o título “Intermitência e trabalho em plataformas digitais: o retorno do salário por hora e por peça”, de autoria de Laura Valle Gontijo, sob orientação do professor doutor Sadi Dal Rosso, realizada no Departamento de Sociologia da Universidade de Brasília e defendida no dia 30 de novembro de 2021, tem como tema as formas mais recentes de trabalho precário, como o trabalho em plataformas digitais e o trabalho intermitente. Os objetivos desse trabalho são: contribuir com a investigação acerca do trabalho em plataforma digital e do trabalho intermitente, a partir do materialismo dialético, que permite compreender os fenômenos sociais na sua totalidade e no seu desenvolvimento histórico, e proporcionar elementos teóricos que contribuam para a formulação das reivindicações dos trabalhadores por melhores condições de vida e trabalho. É feito um resgate da discussão sobre salário por peça e por hora no volume I de “O Capital”, em Marx, e comparadas as suas características com o trabalho em plataformas digitais, a partir do resultado de um questionário aplicado com 87 entregadores, e com o trabalho intermitente, a partir de uma análise de dados da Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (Rais) e do Novo Cadastro Geral de Empregados e Desempregados (Novo Caged). Em um segundo momento, é feita uma discussão sobre as mudanças nas formas de remuneração ao longo do século XX e início do XXI, identificando elementos que corroboram com a hipótese da reintrodução do salário por peça e por hora, como forma de pagamento. Como conclusão, sugere-se que as reformas trabalhistas sinalizam um momento de transição de uma forma de remuneração para outra. Conclui-se que houve, de forma inequívoca, uma diminuição do nível de proteção ao emprego, na última década, e piora das condições de trabalho dos empregados formais. Observa-se um crescimento dos vínculos de trabalho precários, em detrimento dos vínculos estáveis. Há uma prevalência das longas jornadas, no caso dos trabalhadores em plataformas digitais, e de jornadas parciais, no caso dos trabalhadores intermitentes. Foi possível constatar ainda um alto nível de consciência política entre os trabalhadores em plataformas digitais, reconhecendo esse trabalho como uma escravidão ou semiescravidão e, prevalece uma divisão de opiniões entre os entregadores em relação à adoção da Carteira de Trabalho.
The rise of the digital platform economy, driven by technological innovation, was expected to be more favourable for women workers due to increased flexibility and autonomy, but the nature of work on these platforms has been found to be often gendered and precarious. This chapter builds a case for examining platform work from a marginal worker’s viewpoint. It establishes a relationship between feminist approaches and informality and discusses how women have always been structurally and socially more vulnerable to external shock, making them doubly marginalised. The authors map the global understanding and literature on location-based platforms and review it within the Indian context while paying close attention to low-income women workers and the socio-cultural and political challenges surrounding them. The workers’ concerns, opportunities and recommendations in relation to the platform architecture and the accompanied algorithmic management are investigated and an argument is made for a feminist approach to the design and development of location-based digital labour platforms.
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