gig platform governance

Question 1

gig economy

Answer 1

= economic system that uses online platforms to connect independent workers with clients digitally

• hired for only a gig
  -distance from calling the workers employees- independent contractors

Question 2

types of gig platforms

Answer 2

crowdworkd= perform tasks remotely via the platform: micro and macro tasks

work-on-demand via app= connects workers to clients in the same geographical area

Question 3

implications of gig economy

Answer 3

positive: flexibility, autonomy
negative: erode employment standards and labour regulations, work crazy hours, no social insurance

need development of regulations

Question 4

gig platform governance

Answer 4

=how gig platform organisations attract, coordinate, monitor and influence independent workers and customers

key component: algorithmic management

Question 5

algorithmic management

Answer 5

= self-learning algorithms are given the responsibility for making and executing decisions affecting labour, thereby limiting human involvement and oversight of the labour process

algorithms take on the responsibilities traditionally performed by human managers including hiring, allocating tasks, evaluating and firing

Question 6

6R’s of algorithmic control over workers

Answer 6

Direction:
Recommending, Restricting

Evaluation:
Recording, Rating

Discipline:
Replacing, Rewarding

Question 7

workers’ response

Answer 7

individual resistance via practical action
platform organising (online forums)
discursive framing about algorithmic fairness, accessibility and transparency (public critique)
legal mobilisation (advocate for policies)

Question 8

Gig Platform Governance in the Global South

Answer 8

institutional voids:
- regulatory: safety risks for workers and customers, no reg of the industry
- labour market: poor working cond, workers’ lack of skills, marginalisation, short-term orientation
- product market voids: gas price instability, limited tech affordance, low diffusion of credit cards

= absence of underdevelopment of institutions that facilitate market activity. hinder mechanisms that allow transacting parties to come together, resulting in higher costs of market activity

Question 9

address institutional voids

Answer 9

coercive governance- centralisation of decision rights, to constrain, monitor and sanction users’ behaviour
- restrict access
- mandatory learning
- emergency coord

enabling governance- decentralisation of decision rights in favour of the platform users, on social relations and on users’ empowerment
- community building and co-development of solutions
- professional upgrading