Why does unpaid labour vary among digital labour platforms? Exploring socio-technical platform regimes of worker autonomy

Valeria  Pulignano; Damian Grimshaw; Markieta Domecka; Lander Vermeerbergen

doi:10.1177/00187267231179901

Why does unpaid labour vary among digital labour platforms? Exploring socio-technical platform regimes of worker autonomy

Valeria Pulignano, Damian Grimshaw, Markieta Domecka, Lander Vermeerbergen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Digital platforms provide many workers with vital income and offer the promise of flexible work, and yet also contribute to experiences of precariousness and exploitation, particularly with regard to pressures to undertake unpaid work. This article explores why unpaid labour is necessary and what drives its extent and form among diverse types of digital platforms. We theorize two ideal types of ‘open’ and ‘closed’ socio-technical platform regimes of worker autonomy, building on sociological insights about socio-technical systems, management control over worker autonomy and labour market segmentation by skill. In principle, ‘open’ (‘closed’) platform regimes grant relatively high (low) worker autonomy in terms of access to the platform, paid work and control over work tasks. Analysing five case studies, illustrative of ‘open’ and ‘closed’ regimes, we investigate unpaid labour in low-skill locational (i.e. food delivery) platforms and medium/high-skill online (i.e. freelancing) platforms. In brief, digital freelancers exhibit a lower extent of unpaid labour within relatively ‘open’ regimes, owing to greater autonomy over access to, and control over, platform work in a sector requiring medium/high skills. Conversely, ‘closed’ regimes mitigate unpaid labour for food-delivery platforms by providing market shelter for workers, who are easily replaced in an overcrowded sector requiring few skills.

Original language	English
Journal	HUMAN RELATIONS
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267231179901
Publication status	Published - 29 Jun 2023

Keywords

platform economy
digital labour
autonomy
biography

Access to Document

10.1177/00187267231179901

Cite this

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title = "Why does unpaid labour vary among digital labour platforms? Exploring socio-technical platform regimes of worker autonomy",

abstract = "Digital platforms provide many workers with vital income and offer the promise of flexible work, and yet also contribute to experiences of precariousness and exploitation, particularly with regard to pressures to undertake unpaid work. This article explores why unpaid labour is necessary and what drives its extent and form among diverse types of digital platforms. We theorize two ideal types of {\textquoteleft}open{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}closed{\textquoteright} socio-technical platform regimes of worker autonomy, building on sociological insights about socio-technical systems, management control over worker autonomy and labour market segmentation by skill. In principle, {\textquoteleft}open{\textquoteright} ({\textquoteleft}closed{\textquoteright}) platform regimes grant relatively high (low) worker autonomy in terms of access to the platform, paid work and control over work tasks. Analysing five case studies, illustrative of {\textquoteleft}open{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}closed{\textquoteright} regimes, we investigate unpaid labour in low-skill locational (i.e. food delivery) platforms and medium/high-skill online (i.e. freelancing) platforms. In brief, digital freelancers exhibit a lower extent of unpaid labour within relatively {\textquoteleft}open{\textquoteright} regimes, owing to greater autonomy over access to, and control over, platform work in a sector requiring medium/high skills. Conversely, {\textquoteleft}closed{\textquoteright} regimes mitigate unpaid labour for food-delivery platforms by providing market shelter for workers, who are easily replaced in an overcrowded sector requiring few skills.",

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