Worker voice in the platform economy

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dc.check.chapterOfThesisNo sections need to be redacted for this thesis. However, due to ongoing peer review of multiple papers constituting this thesis in various academic journal outlets, I would request that this thesis be placed under a temporary embargo for the maximum duration possible before it is officially released and made publicly available on CORA.en
dc.check.date2035-12-31
dc.contributor.advisorCarbery, Ronan
dc.contributor.advisorMcDonnell, Anthony
dc.contributor.advisorJooss, Stefan
dc.contributor.authorDasgupta, Prakriti
dc.contributor.funderUniversity College Cork
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-08T11:18:57Z
dc.date.available2025-10-08T11:18:57Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.submitted2025
dc.description.abstractThe world of work is undergoing unprecedented transformation, fuelled by technological advancements and demographic shifts, that converges with the rise of the platform economy. Platform work is facilitated by digital labour platforms that connect workers with customers for standalone, short-term tasks. These platforms identify as digital intermediaries as opposed to employers, blurring traditional employment boundaries, undermining labour protections, fragmenting work and workers – all of which threatens and presents challenges for worker voice. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine voice in relation to the evolving social relations of platform work – characterised by algorithmic mediation, multi-party interactions, and workforce diversification. Structured as a thesis by publication, this study adheres to a constructivist paradigm and adopts a qualitative, multi-stakeholder research design to understand worker voice dynamics in platform work arrangements, focusing on the food and grocery delivery sector. Data for this study was collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documents from key stakeholders (i.e., platform representatives, workers, activists, suppliers, and customers). Findings illustrate the different motives for voice use and the new channels of voice that surface when institutional and organisational support for platform workers’ voices are missing. In this regard, the role of various (non)labour actors, and their involvement in escalating workers’ voices is considered and deliberated in-depth. Further, the range of expressions and/or actions constituting platform workers’ voice offer important insights regarding their scope to influence and shape the platforms’ algorithmic management practices. This is notably based on the platform (organisational) perspective, which has been a less accessible and under-represented view within the platform work scholarship. Finally, alongside the new opportunities for voice, study findings also reveal associated challenges that hinder workers’ abilities to express their voice collectively and powerfully. There are several core contributions from this research. Theoretically, it problematises the scope of voice scholarship and its dominant focus on ‘employees’ in traditional employment. In this regard, the thesis conceptualises the constitution of a ‘grassroots voice mechanism’ by platform workers, who find themselves excluded from conventional voice systems and structures, thus, breaking new ground by taking the discourse on voice outside of the organisation. Such an expansion is important considering the growing concentration of independent work(ers) and non-traditional work arrangements, towards which this thesis also offers robust research agendas that can shape the trajectory of future scholarly inquiries. Empirically, the research demonstrates that while establishing such a grassroots voice mechanism within the platform work context is not without challenges associated with overcoming fragmented worker solidarities, the variety of expressions and actions encompassing workers’ voices do tangibly affect the platforms’ algorithmic management practices. This is revealed from its negotiated scope – an organisational viewpoint that this research brings to light. These insights, therefore, illustrate both the constraints and possibilities shaping workers’ voice and its ability to influence workplace dynamics. Practically, it highlights the opportunities and unrealised benefits for platform organisations, should they decide to deepen their engagement with worker voices and constructively leverage worker experiences to evolve their operations in a way that fosters inclusive organisational growth and mutually beneficial outcomes. In parallel, it draws attention to the changing nature of work and the workforce, which warrants rethinking of labour institutions and regulations, especially given that traditional models (e.g., unions) are struggling to keep pace, putting worker voice and representation in crisis.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationDasgupta, P. 2025. Worker voice in the platform economy. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.
dc.identifier.endpage279
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/17988
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.relation.projectUniversity College Cork (Cork University Business School PhD Scholarship)
dc.rights© 2025, Prakriti Dasgupta.
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectWorker voice
dc.subjectPlatform work
dc.subjectAlgorithmic management
dc.subjectGrassroots voice
dc.subjectGig economy
dc.subjectDigital labour platforms
dc.titleWorker voice in the platform economy
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen
dc.type.qualificationnamePhD - Doctor of Philosophyen
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