Lost in the Perilous Boulevards of Gig Economy: Making of Human Drones

Abstract

Along with advancements in information technology and related infrastructure, the gig economy is expanding to more and more cities in the world. In emerging economies like India, due to increasing urbanisation and Internet connectivity, many services are being delivered through technology platforms, and their numbers are growing fast. However, not much is known about the impact of app-based employment on the workers. The online food delivery sector is a suitable segment to probe the same. How vulnerable is this ever-dispensable food delivery employee in his monotonous job? These workers are employed under the mobile apps that control them like in a sci-fi game. What does it mean to be constantly under the mobile app surveillance? Does the flexibility of the gig economy impact the skills and aspirations of these boys? Does it dehumanise the workers and transform them into human drones? This study maps the lived experience of food delivery boys and their families, which has so far remained behind the celebrated success of the platform economy in India. Using both interview and participant observation methods to study gig workers and deploying dimensional analysis to unpack the context, this study finds evidence of unobtrusive dehumanisation. Given the mushrooming trend of such gig workers, the findings of this study call for a deeper analysis of the social impact of the gig economy and have far-reaching implications.

Performance Appraisal and Employees Productivity in Ebonyi State Civil Service

“…In the words of Gupta (2011) promotion refers to advancement of employees to a higher post carrying greater responsibilities, higher status and better salary. It is the upward movement of a worker in the organization's hierarchy, to another job commanding greater authority, higher status and better working conditions.…”

“…Promotion stimulates self-development and creates interest in training and development programmes (Gupta, 2011). Therefore, promotion of workers is a vital aspect for the survival of any organization, whereby various ways of promotion can be implemented such as merit and seniority.…”