SpringerLink
Log in

Caring for Platform-Based Work: Changing Labour Relationships

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Digital Services and Platforms. Considerations for Sourcing (Global Sourcing 2018)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing ((LNBIP,volume 344))

  • 707 Accesses

Abstract

The emergence of gig work and its acceleration by apps and everything ‘i’, has brought with it complex labour-market relationships, increased vulnerabilities of workers and industries, and created difficulties for legislative and governance systems. This research is an exploration of the current state of gig economy issues, and stakeholder relationships within and outside the industrial/employment framework. It is an overview of the interaction of gig work and the gig economy with government and labour relations. The findings contribute to the study of gig work and could be useful for organizations seeking to combine competing strategic goals to achieve efficiencies in the future of work.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 42.79
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 53.49
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Finkin, M.: Beclouded work in historical perspective. Comp. LabL. Policy J. 37(3) (2016). University of Illinois College of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 16-12

    Google Scholar 

  2. Agrawal, A., Horton, J., Lacetera, N., Lyons, E.: Digitization and the contract labour market: a research agenda. In: Economic Analysis of the Digital Economy, pp. 219–250. University of Chicago Press, USA (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chung, F.: Australia’s freelance economy grows to 4.1 million workers, study finds (2015). http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/australias-freelance-economy-grows-to-41-million-workers-study-finds/newsstory/629dedfaea1334077c68822f4f2a469

  4. Hajkowicz, S., et al.: Tomorrow’s Digitally Enabled Workforce. Megatrends and Scenarios for Jobs and Employment in Australia over the Coming Twenty Years. CSIRO, Brisbane (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Griffiths, J.: What is the gig economy and which UK companies are part of it? From Pimlico plumbers and Amazon to Uber (2018). https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/3985964/gig-economy-meaning-definition-temporary-labor-market-uber-deliveroo/

  6. Edelman, D.J.: Quantify the number of people freelancing in Australia for the second year in a row (2015). https://www.slideshare.net/upwork/freelancing-in-australia-2015/

  7. Stanford, J.: The future of work is what we make it: Submission to Senate Select Committee on the future of work and workers. Australia Institute, ACT (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Sutherland, W., Jarrahi, M.H.: The gig economy and information infrastructure: the case of the digital nomad community. In: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 1(CSCW), p. 97 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hunt, A., Samman, E., Mansour-Ille, D.: Syrian Women Refugees in Jordan: Opportunity in the Gig Economy?. Overseas development institute, London (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Australian Tax Office.: Employee or Contractor (2017). https://www.ato.gov.au/business/employee-or-contractor/

  11. Pinsof, J.: A New take on an old problem: employee misclassification in the modern gig-economy. MTTLR 22, 341 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Stewart, A., Stanford, J.: Regulating work in the gig economy: What are the options? Ec. Lab. Rel. Rev. 28(3), 420–437 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Johnston, C.: Uber drivers are employees not contractors, California rules: Uber to appeal California Labour Commission ruling that it is ‘involved in every aspect of the operation’ (2015). https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/17/uber-drivers-are-employees-not-contractors-in-california-ruling

  14. Kirka, D.: Uber just lost a legal battle in the U.K. and it could have a major impact for gig economy workers (2017). https://www.inc.com/associated-press/uber-drivers-employees-not-independent-contractors-freelancers-uk-london-united-kingdom.html

  15. Woody, C.: A judge in South America’s biggest city says Uber drivers are employees (2017). http://www.businessinsider.com/r-sao-paulo-judge-rules-uber-drivers-are-employees-deserve-benefits-2017-4?IR=T

  16. de Plevitz, L.: Dependent contractors: can the test from Stevens v Brodribb protect workers who are Quasi-Employees? QUTLJ 13, 263–275 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Taylor, M., Marsh, G., Nicol, D., Broadbent, P.: Good Work: The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Robertson, G.: The Future of Work and Labour’s economic vision (2017). https://www.labour.org.nz/speech_by_grant_robertson_the_future_of_work_and_labour_s_economic_vision

  19. Page, V.: The Rise of the gig economy (2015). https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102115/rise-gig-economy.asp

  20. Manyika, J., Lund, S., Bughin, J., Robinson, K., Mischke, J., Mahajon, D.: Independent Work: Choice Necessity and the Gig Economy. McKinsey Global Institute (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Cherry, M.A., Aloisi, A.: “Dependent contractors” in the gig economy: a comparative approach. Am. UL. Rev. 66, 635 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Willcocks, L.P., Lacity, M.: Service Automation Robots and the Future of Work. SB Publishing, UK (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hopkins, C.: Understanding the ‘gig economy’ and the changing world of work (2017). https://insightsresources.seek.com.au/gig-economy-changing-world-work

  24. Dries, N., Pepermans, R., De Kerpel, E.: Exploring four generations’ beliefs about career: is “satisfied” the new “successful”? J. Man. Psych. 23(8), 907–928 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Hill, B., Secker, J., Davidson, F.: Achievement relative to opportunity: career hijacks in the academy. In: Demos, V., Berheide, C.W. Texler, M. (eds.) Gender Transformation in the Academy, pp. 85–107. Emerald Group Publishing Limited (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Amazon (2018). https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

  27. Leighton, P.: Future Working: The Rise of Europe’s Independent Professionals’. European Forum of Independent Professionals (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Warren, T.: Uber loses its license to operate in Europe (2017). https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/22/16349070/uber-london-tfl-license

  29. Scott, M.: As Uber stumbles, German rivals prosper (2016). https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/04/as-uber-stumbles-german-rivals-prosper/

  30. https://www.markmcgowan.com.au/files/Jobs_policy/WA_Labors_Plan_for_Jobs.pdf (2016)

  31. Hastie, H.: Taxi and Uber fares to jump after levy hits parliament, WA Today (2018). https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/taxi-and-uber-fares-to-jump-after-levy-passes-parliament-20181019-p50are.html

  32. Australian Industries Group Workforce Development.: The Emergence of the Gig Economy: Thought Leader Paper, AIG Australia (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Schwab, K.: The Fourth Industrial Revolution., World Economic Forum Geneva Switzerland, Penguin Random House LLC New York (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  34. PR Newswire.: Reducing costs alone won’t make government agencies more effective, according to new A. T. Kearney study on agile government (2003). http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reducing-costs-alone-wont-make-government-agencies-more-effective-according-to-new-at-kearney-study-on-agile-government-73191277.html

  35. Minter, K.: Negotiating labour standards in the gig economy: Airtasker and Unions New South Wales. Ec. Lab. Relations Rev. 28(3), 438–454 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Winson, S.: Regulatory stewardship voice of the regulator. Policy Q. 13(4) (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Brown M., Stuart, R.: Uber loses Federal Court Challenge in Bid to Avoid Paying GST. ABC News (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Golson, J.: Uber used an elaborate secret program to hide from government regulators (2017). https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/3/14807472/uber-greyball-regulators-taxi-legal-vtos

  39. Warren, T.: Uber loses its license to operate in London: No ban until appeal process is finished (2017). https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/22/16349070/uber-london-tfl-license

  40. Hawkins, A.J.: Can Uber be saved from itself? “They have dug themselves a very deep hole” (2017). https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/6/14791080/uber-sexism-scandal-strike-waymo-lawsuit-travis-kalanick

  41. Stone, B.: Summary and Analysis of the Upstarts: How Uber, AirBNB, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley are Changing the World. Worth Books, New York (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wreford, J., Penter, K., Pervan, G., Davidson, F.: Seeking opaque indifference in offshore BPO. In: Kotlarsky, J., Oshri, I., Willcocks, L.P. (eds.) Global Sourcing 2012. LNBIP, vol. 130, pp. 175–193. Springer, Heidelberg (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33920-2_11

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  43. Möhlmann, M.: Collaborative consumption: determinants of satisfaction and the likelihood of using a sharing economy option again. J. Con. Behav. 14(3), 193–207 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Cannon, B., Chung, H.A.: Framework for designing co-regulation models well-adapted to technology-facilitated sharing economies. Comp. High Tech L. J. 31(1), 23 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  45. Productivity Commission.: Data Availability and Use: Inquiry Report No. 82. Canberra (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  46. Resch, B.: Labour 2.0: Why we shouldn’t fear the ‘sharing economy’ and the reinvention of work (2015). https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/248433/1/labor-2-0-why-we-shouldnt-fear-the-sharing-economy-and-the-reinvention-of-work-46959

  47. Goods, C., Veen, A., Barratt, T.: Being exploited and breaching your visa: The limited choices of the food delivery worker (2017). http://theconversation.com/being-exploited-and-breaching-your-visa-the-limited-choices-of-the-food-delivery-worker-82589

  48. Sundorph, E.: The gig economy could save the public sector: It has come in for a hard time of late, - but the benefits are impossible to ignore (2017). https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-finance/the-gig-economy-could-save-the-public-sector

  49. Spinuzzi, C.: Working alone together: coworking as emergent collaborative activity. J. Bus. Tech. Com. 26(4), 399–441 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, Curtin University, U1987, Bentley, WA, Australia

    Fay Davidson & Sharyn Curran

Authors
  1. Fay Davidson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sharyn Curran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fay Davidson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Julia Kotlarsky

  2. University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Ilan Oshri

  3. London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

    Leslie Willcocks

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Davidson, F., Curran, S. (2019). Caring for Platform-Based Work: Changing Labour Relationships. In: Kotlarsky, J., Oshri, I., Willcocks, L. (eds) Digital Services and Platforms. Considerations for Sourcing. Global Sourcing 2018. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 344. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15850-7_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15850-7_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-15849-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-15850-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation