Sharing in the gig economy: from equitable work relations to exploitative HRM

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to examine human resource management (HRM) in the gig economy through a moral economy lens and to uncover how sharing and firm ownership influences the (un)ethical use of HRM practices and worker treatment.Design/methodology/approachConceptual and empirical insights from contemporary HRM literature are synthesised through a systematic literature review to elucidate pressing challenges for research and practice.FindingsThe analysis reveals that the different ownership structures used by gig firms shape the nature and degree of sharing. The gig economy built on investor ownership leads to greater sharing with investors and tends to be more exploitative of workers, whereas platforms built on collaborative ownership engage in greater peer-to-peer sharing which is more equitable and leads to higher quality work relations and HRM.Practical implicationsThe closer an organisation's alignment with the more equitable/relational end of the gig economy spectrum, the better the work relations and HRM.Originality/valueA new integrated conceptual spectrum of sharing in the gig economy is advanced, which aids in understanding evolving developments in HRM theory and practice.

Socio‐technical issues in the platform‐mediated gig economy: A systematic literature review: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper

“…Bhati's (2021) review focuses on extracting the theoretical approaches used in a sample of research literature in order to inform HRM and decision making. Le Brocq et al (2022) use what they describe as a "moral economy lens" to review research that examines the impacts of gig economy firm ownership on ethical and unethical HRM practices directed towards gig workers. In contrast, state that the goal of their review is to demonstrate that "the traditional role of HR is no longer viable" (p. 2).…”

“…Bhati's (2021) review focuses on extracting the theoretical approaches used in a sample of research literature in order to inform HRM and decision making. Le Brocq et al (2022) use what they describe as a “moral economy lens” to review research that examines the impacts of gig economy firm ownership on ethical and unethical HRM practices directed towards gig workers. In contrast, Anwar et al (2021) state that the goal of their review is to demonstrate that “the traditional role of HR is no longer viable” (p. 2). Reviews of narrowly focused aspects of the gig economy, such as Fu et al (2021), who focus primarily on the effects of digital platforms on economic development, individual empowerment, and inclusion, particularly in developing economies.…”

Guest editorial: A different world of work: the sharing economy and (in)equity, identity and rewards

“…We now present overviews of each of the contributions to this Special Issue. The first contribution is a systematic literature review concerned with the varied levels of worker equity and exploitation across types of organisations in the sharing economy (Le Brocq et al , 2023). This uses a “moral economy” lens to examine how different types of gig firm ownership structure shape the nature and degree of sharing and influence worker treatment and HRM.…”

Gig Work in Post Pandemic Times: Does it an Agile Work Structure?

“…The confine environment also helps the gig workers to seek for better ideas. In response to the lack of employment relationship with the company, the gig workers find for their own assurance through the bearable workload, supportive colleagues, and sufficient sources (Brocq et al, 2022). The orientation was helping to introduce the job workers towards the tasks and explain the specific items needed to produce high quality of the completed tasks.…”