Working in the Platform Economy: Foundations and Limits of “Online Labour” and “Gigwork” Arbeiten in der Plattformökonomie: Grundlagen und Grenzen von „Cloudwork“ und „Gigwork“

Kirchner S (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie Springer

Book Volume: 71

Pages Range: 3-25

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1007/s11577-019-00587-w

Abstract

In the platform economy, companies like Uber, Airbnb, Deliveroo and Upwork organize paid work directly on digital marketplaces via the internet. This type of paid work is often called “Online Labour” or “Gigwork”. To date, there have been only few theoretical indications to explain how these market organizers actually organize this type of paid work. In order to close this research gap, this article builds on three fundamental coordination problems that firms face when establishing a stable organization of work. This line of argument is underpinned with the organization-of-markets approach to reveal the organizational foundations. The conceptual argument of this article underscores the systematic limits to organizing paid work in the platform economy. However, it also reveals digital marketplace organizers’ specific capabilities to install alternative solutions to the fundamental coordination problems underlying the organization of work. The article calls for future empirical research that engages more rigorously with the theoretical foundations.

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Berlin DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Kirchner, S. (2019). Working in the Platform Economy: Foundations and Limits of “Online Labour” and “Gigwork” Arbeiten in der Plattformökonomie: Grundlagen und Grenzen von „Cloudwork“ und „Gigwork“. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 71(1), 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-019-00587-w

MLA:

Kirchner, Stefan. "Working in the Platform Economy: Foundations and Limits of “Online Labour” and “Gigwork” Arbeiten in der Plattformökonomie: Grundlagen und Grenzen von „Cloudwork“ und „Gigwork“." Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 71.1 (2019): 3-25.

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