Multi-party working relationships in gig work: towards a new perspective
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Date
2021-08-17
Authors
Duggan, James
Sherman, Ultan
Carbery, Ronan
McDonnell, Anthony
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Edward Elgar Publishing
Published Version
Abstract
Work in the gig economy is widely debated for its promises and pitfalls. In gig work, roles are heavily fragmented and hyper-flexible, ‘gigs’ are issued on a task-by-task basis, and workers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. In this chapter, we examine the unique nature of ‘gig’ working relationships, focusing exclusively on the app-work variant to explore how this arrangement develops with the involvement of multiple parties and inherently disrupts traditional conceptualisations of the employment relationship. In lacking a robust legal architecture, we draw on psychological contract theory to critically examine the individualised nature of the multi-party working relationship found in app-work, where the governing role of technology shapes the arrangement. In doing so, we contribute to understanding of the social problems related to app-work (e.g. precarity, questionable working conditions), explore potential solutions to these issues, and consider the practical and theoretical implications of this heavily digitalised working relationship.
Description
Keywords
Gig economy , App-work , Technology
Citation
Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R. and McDonnell, A. (2021) 'Multi-party working relationships in gig work: Towards a new perspective', in Meijerink, J., Jansen, G. and Daskalova, V. (eds.) Platform Economy Puzzles. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 162-186. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839100284.00017
Link to publisher’s version
Copyright
© 2021, the Authors. This is a draft chapter/article. The final version is available in Meijerink, J., Jansen, G. and Daskalova, V. (eds.) Platform Economy Puzzles, published in 2021 by Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839100284.00017 The material cannot be used for any other purpose without further permission of the publisher, and is for private use only.