Chapter 5 Brave New Digital Work? New Forms of Performance Control in Crowdwork

Abstract

The term "crowdwork" describes a new form of digital work that is organised and regulated by internet-based platforms. This article examines how crowdwork platforms ensure their virtual workforce's commitment and control its performance despite its high mobility, anonymity and dispersion. The findings are based on a case study analysis of 15 microtask and macrotask platforms, encompassing 32 interviews with representatives of crowdwork platforms and crowdworkers, as well as an analysis of the platforms' homepages and community spaces. The article shows that performance control on crowd platforms relies on a combination of direct control, reputation systems and community building, which have until now been studied in isolation or entirely ignored. Moreover, the findings suggest that while all three elements can be found on both microtask and macrotask platforms, their functionality and purpose differ.Overall, the findings highlight that platforms are no neutral intermediaries but organisations that adopt an active role in in structuring the digital labour process and in shaping working conditions. Their managerial structures are coded and objectified into seemingly neutral technological infrastructures, whereby the underlying power relations between capital and labour become obscured.

Community building on crowdwork platforms: Autonomy and control of online workers?

“…Moreover, the crucial question of how platforms mobilize the voluntary commitment and performance of a highly mobile and anonymous crowd to secure the transformation of their labour is understudied. First studies suggest that aside from rigid control and standardization, platforms’ managerial systems may be more diverse and control more subtle than often assumed (Gerber and Krzywdzinski, 2019). In particular, ranking and reputation systems and gamification increasingly receive attention (Gandini, 2016; Vakharia and Lease, 2013; Zogaj and Bretschneider, 2014).…”

Digital Platforms of Work and the Crafting of Career Path: The Crowdworkers’ Perspective

“…Third, our research contributes to the understanding of digital platform-based work in the context of macro-tasks crowdwork by showing that crowdworkers' reputation (and ranking system) on digital platforms loses its central potency as crowdworkers progress in their crowdwork career and as they gain confidence in dealing with the digital platforms and employers. Previous research focused on the role of the rating system and consider it a compulsive control mechanism that oppresses workers into algorithmic labour (Gerber and Krzywdzinski 2019;Lustig et al 2016). Our study highlights that this could be a stage in the crowdworkers' career development process and that as they progress into other stages, this focus could change.…”

Gender Relations at the Digitalised Workplace: The Interrelation Between Digitalisation, Gender, and Work

“…For instance, data-based business models incorporate informal evaluation processes (Turco 2016). The rating and evaluation of the products or services used become part of the business model, and new techniques are developed for performance control (Gerber 2019). Digital systems of reputation and reward create new forms of precarity (e.g.…”