Algorithmic Surveillance in the Gig Economy: The Organization of Work through Lefebvrian Conceived Space

Abstract

<jats:p> Workplace surveillance is traditionally conceived of as a dyadic process, with an observer and an observee. In this paper, I discuss the implications of an emerging form of workplace surveillance: surveillance with an algorithmic, as opposed to human, observer. Situated within the on-demand food-delivery context, I draw upon Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triad to provide in-depth conceptual examination of how platforms rely on conceived space, namely the virtual reality generated by data capture, while neglecting perceived and lived space in the form of the material embodied reality of workers. This paper offers a two-fold contribution. First, it applies Henri Lefebvre’s spatial triad to the techno-centric digital cartography used by platform-mediated organisations, assessing spatial power dynamics and opportunities for resistance. Second, this paper advances organisational research into workplace surveillance in situations where the observer and decision-maker can be a non-human agent. </jats:p>

Exploring the dark and unexpected sides of digitalization: Toward a critical agenda

“…To understand why digitalization is important, it helps to put things in a temporal perspective. While many other developments could be mentioned, it suffices for our purposes to note that modern computing only really began with the seminal work of Alan Turing and John von Neumann around the middle of the twentieth century (Asprey, 1992); that the internet, whose origins are generally traced back to the 1960s, only began to transform daily life around the turn of the twentieth century (Naughton, 1999); and that deep learning, which is currently enabling massive advances in such domains as image recognition and language translation, only began its most recent ascent around 2005 (Bengio, 2016). Further to this, we note that cloud computing and the internet of things increasingly allow an increasing number of individuals and artifacts to be digitally connected.…”

“…Various works within the humanities and social sciences, including organization studies, have noted that the monopolistic political and economic position of internet and platform firms has dark and unexpected consequences for workers, consumers, and citizens. Studies indicate that these companies make increased use of a low paid precarious labor force without adequate worker’s rights, where workers have been surveilled and actively punished for attempts to restore such rights (e.g., De Stefano, 2019; Newlands, 2020; Rosenblat and Stark, 2016). This is clearly the case for Uber, who has attempted to avoid labor-related costs by defining its apps’ users as ‘independent contractors’ rather than as employees; Amazon, who has sacked a number of their workers who raised concerns about working conditions at the large warehouse; Facebook, whose outsourced content moderators have sometimes suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from watching murders, suicides and other graphic content on the platform; and Apple, whose outsourced workers at Foxconn in China suffered a spate of suicides due to their appalling working conditions.…”

Connectivity in and around Organizations: Waves, tensions and trade-offs

“…GPS, useage, connections, networks and other data points all connect us in ways that form a digital data double of individuals. Gemma Newlands (2020) explores this in the context of surveillance and the risks of over-reliance on digital connectivity to paint a full picture of how, when and what employees are doing. This idea is explored further in Ella Hafermalz and Kai Riemer’s paper in this issue.…”

“…While surveillance and monitoring offer some reasonable benefits to individuals and collectives, they also impinge on our freedom and independence. Our agency or ‘free will’ is a sacred right to many, but can lead to intentional resistance (Newlands, 2020) and ultimately can make the world a dangerous place. The debate about who decides how much digital surveillance is ‘good for you’ is likely to continue, especially in relation to multifaceted and other new forms of surveillance (Hansen & Weiskopf, 2019).…”

Control and Surveillance in Work Practice: Cultivating Paradox in ‘New’ Modes of Organizing

“…Our special issue comprises five contributions all of which resonate with ongoing debates about control, surveillance and new modes of organizing work: issues of exile and remote working (Hafermalz, 2021), collaboration and communities (Resch, Hoyer, & Steyaert, 2021), gender and sexual identity in the new world of work (Burchiellaro, 2021), open office design and governmentality (Picard, Durocher, & Gendron, 2021) and algorithmic surveillance (Newlands, 2021). In such a world, organizing appears more paradoxical than ever, particularly in its demands for, on the one hand, greater autonomy, transparency and collaboration, and on the other, greater control, opacity and competition.…”