The topic of gig work provokes mixed reactions among policy-makers, industry players, and the individuals using online labor platforms. On the one hand, online platforms for on-demand labor such as Uber, Deliveroo or Helpling, provide an unprecedented opportunity to optimize efficiency and to bring marginal workers into the labor force. On the other hand, they provoke concerns about labor rights, social justice, and viability of the business model.
We hope you agree with us that this is a complex topic which requires an in-depth understanding of socio-political and legal institutions, human behavior, platform business models, the possibilities and limitations of algorithms and technology, and last, but not least – how all of this fits together. So how does it all fit together? How can we use already existing knowledge to address the unique challenges of making the platform economy work for everyone?
These are the questions we address during the upcoming multidisciplinary symposium: ‘Platform Economy Puzzles: Unravelling the Gig Work Paradox’ to be held at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. The symposium aims not only at inventorying and applying existing knowledge, but also at identifying the ‘blind spots’ in research programs and evaluating solutions. For this reason, we bring together leading scholars from different disciplines and a variety of stakeholders, including platform workers, online labor platform representatives, and policy makers. Together, we aim to bring the platform economy debate one step further and to start unraveling the gig work paradox.
To subcribe follow this link.
