The analysis of social sustainability is gaining increasing relevance within the scientific community and the controversial working conditions in the platform economy sector represent a research area of particular interest. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the social implications of crowdsourcing-based solutions in the food delivery industry. The analysis is based on 74 scientific papers published between 2014 and 2022 in international journals and it enables the development of a framework that, thanks to the Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) methodology, highlights the dynamics among the distinctive elements of the business model characterizing food platforms. Subsequently, in order to gain relevance also from a managerial perspective, the theoretical model has been validated through field interviews with both workers and platform managers. In detail, it has been traced that algorithmic management creates a high pace environment characterized by control practices, labour intensification and pressure. All these elements, together with physical risks, increase riders' mental stress. In addition, platform supervision reduces workers’ freedom, and although tasks intensification makes this job isolated, it is a motivational factor. Moreover, also the community increases workers' engagement since it develops experience and autonomy. On the other hand, it encourages collective actions organization to ask for greater rights. However, if the employee status acts as a motivational factor, it reduces flexibility, in turn worsening motivation itself. In any case, a greater engagement is able to amplify riders’ performance and it reduces the profile deactivation likelihood. The systemic approach adoption enabled the identification of critical issues, conflicts among business stakeholders and potential improvement areas. In the short-to-medium term, future research should focus on these criticalities to drive social progress both in business and in the community as a whole.
L’analisi della sostenibilità sociale sta acquisendo sempre maggiore rilevanza all’interno della comunità scientifica e le controverse condizioni di lavoro nel settore della platform economy rappresentano un ambito di ricerca di particolare interesse. Questo studio mira quindi ad indagare le implicazioni sociali della logistica operata tramite crowdsourcing focalizzandosi sul settore del food delivery. L’analisi è stata realizzata a partire da 74 articoli scientifici, pubblicati tra il 2014 e il 2022 in riviste internazionali, e ha permesso di elaborare un framework che, grazie alla metodologia del Causal Loop Diagram (CLD), evidenzia le dinamiche tra gli elementi distintivi del business model caratterizzante le food platform. Tramite interviste con lavoratori e manager delle piattaforme, il modello teorico è stato validato, ottenendo così rilevanza anche da un punto di vista manageriale. Nello specifico, si è dimostrato che la gestione tramite algoritmo crea un ambiente di lavoro intenso che impatta negativamente lo stress dei rider. Tutti questi elementi, insieme ai rischi fisici, aumentano le stress mentale del lavoratore. La supervisione della piattaforma ne riduce la libertà e, sebbene i ritmi intesiti delle attività incrementino l’isolamento, essi rappresentano un fattore motivazionale. Anche la presenza di interazioni sociali assume un ruolo chiave nel coinvolgimento dei riders, grazie all’autonomia sviluppata, ma anche nell'organizzazione di dimostrazioni pubbliche per maggiori diritti. Gli effetti della definizione dello status di dipendente hanno però effetti contrastanti: da una parte generano maggiore motivazione ma dall’altra quest’ultima viene compromessa a causa della riduzione della flessibilità. È tuttavia dimostrato che un’attitudine positiva al lavoro amplifica le prestazioni, riducendo la probabilità di disattivazione del profilo. L’adozione di un approccio sistemico ha quindi consentito sia di identificare le aree di conflitto tra gli attori coinvolti che le potenziali leve di miglioramento sociale. Nel breve-medio termine, la ricerca futura dovrebbe concentrarsi su queste criticità per guidare il progresso sociale sia in ambito di business che nell’intera comunità
Mapping the social implications of crowdsourcing logistics solutions in platforms: a comprehensive framework
LIEVORE, FEDERICA;LORENZINI, VALERIA
2021/2022
Abstract
The analysis of social sustainability is gaining increasing relevance within the scientific community and the controversial working conditions in the platform economy sector represent a research area of particular interest. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the social implications of crowdsourcing-based solutions in the food delivery industry. The analysis is based on 74 scientific papers published between 2014 and 2022 in international journals and it enables the development of a framework that, thanks to the Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) methodology, highlights the dynamics among the distinctive elements of the business model characterizing food platforms. Subsequently, in order to gain relevance also from a managerial perspective, the theoretical model has been validated through field interviews with both workers and platform managers. In detail, it has been traced that algorithmic management creates a high pace environment characterized by control practices, labour intensification and pressure. All these elements, together with physical risks, increase riders' mental stress. In addition, platform supervision reduces workers’ freedom, and although tasks intensification makes this job isolated, it is a motivational factor. Moreover, also the community increases workers' engagement since it develops experience and autonomy. On the other hand, it encourages collective actions organization to ask for greater rights. However, if the employee status acts as a motivational factor, it reduces flexibility, in turn worsening motivation itself. In any case, a greater engagement is able to amplify riders’ performance and it reduces the profile deactivation likelihood. The systemic approach adoption enabled the identification of critical issues, conflicts among business stakeholders and potential improvement areas. In the short-to-medium term, future research should focus on these criticalities to drive social progress both in business and in the community as a whole.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: Mapping the social implications of crowdsourcing logistics solutions in platforms: a comprehensive framework
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/202833