Unemployment and Online Labor: Evidence from Microtasking

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Laitenberger, Ulrich; Viete, Steffen; Slivko, Olga; Kummer, Michael; Borchert, Kathrin; Hirth, Matthias

Abstract: We analyze the relationship between unemployment and the supply of online labor ... Expand

Abstract: We analyze the relationship between unemployment and the supply of online labor for microtasking. Using detailed U.S. data from a large microtasking platform between 2011 and 2015, we study the participation and the number of hours supplied by workers in the U.S. We found that more individuals registered on the platform and completed microtasks as the unemployment level in the commuting zone increased. This effect was strongest in regions with a high share of low-skilled workers. Our analyses of the intensive margin, wage elasticity, and temporal work patterns suggest that the increased participation was likely motivated by an effort to substitute income. Our findings suggest that microtasking platforms are an interesting online labor market for less educated workers. However, we also observed very low retention rates, indicative of a solely transient participation effect. Collapse

Topics: online labor market Facebook task complexity information technology infrastructure accounting

Methods: instrumental variables estimation survey archival research autocorrelation analysis longitudinal research

Inferring Supplier Quality in the Gig Economy: The Effectiveness of Signals in Freelance Job Markets

2021 | HICSS | Citations: 10

Authors: Kathuria, Abhishek; Saldanha, Terence; Khuntia, Jiban; Andrade Rojas, Mariana; Mithas, Sunil; Hah, Hyeyoung

Abstract: Inferring quality of labor suppliers is a challenge in the gig economy. Many onl ... Expand

Abstract: Inferring quality of labor suppliers is a challenge in the gig economy. Many online freelance job markets address this challenge by incorporating signals. We test effectiveness of two kinds of information signals as indicators of supplier quality: skill signal (which reflects suppliers’ skill and potential), and achievement signal (which reflects suppliers’ past achievement). We theorize that two job characteristics in cross-national labor demand settings strengthen effectiveness of these signals: job duration, and cultural distance. Econometric analysis on a dataset from a leading online freelance job marketplace containing information on jobs posted by buyers and completed by suppliers located across several countries supports our hypotheses. We find that both skill and achievement signals are more effective at inferring supplier quality in jobs involving longer duration, and in jobs involving greater cultural distance between buyers and suppliers. Collapse

Topics: task characteristic digital platform accounting platform worker mobile application

Methods: cluster analysis theory development ordinary least square theoretical contribution descriptive statistic

Theories: cultural dimensions theory

Evading Career Barriers in Traditional Work Settings through Micro-Task Crowdsourcing arrangements

2020 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Mayer, Anne-Sophie; Strunk, Kim; Ihl, Andreas; Fiedler, Marina

Abstract: Micro-task crowdsourcing (MTCS) arrangements have increasingly gained importanc ... Expand

Abstract: Micro-task crowdsourcing (MTCS) arrangements have increasingly gained importance as alternatives to traditional work arrangements. Many crowdworkers participate on MTCS platforms as they value the opportunity to work independently, be creative or engage in a wide variety of tasks. However, little attention has so far been given to those crowdworkers who heavily rely on MTCS arrangements as they face impeding career barriers in traditional work arrangements. Therefore, we know little on which career barriers in traditional work arrangements encourage crowdworkers to work via MTCS platforms, and how MTCS arrangements can contribute to evading these impeding barriers. This is however a crucial perspective for enhancing our understanding of the impact MTCS arrangements have and their potential to create a more inclusive overall labor market. Building on qualitative data from open questionnaires answered by 286 active crowdworkers, and a netnographic approach covering 576 forum posts, we reveal that crowdworkers dominantly face career barriers in traditional work arrangements due to intensive social commitments, physical and mental issues and demographic characteristics. As MTCS arrangements are released from fixed attendance, direct social relations and rigid selection processes, they contribute to evading these barriers. Our study provides important theoretical and practical implications. Collapse

Topics: IT career crowdsourcing platform worker virtualization technology IT supported collaboration

Methods: survey qualitative coding theory development cross sectional research forums posting

UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOSTRESS ON WORKERS’ JOB SATISFACTION IN GIG-ECONOMY: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION

2019 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Umair, Azka; Conboy, Kieran; Whelan, Eoin

Abstract: Gig-economy is a recent concept that has been attracting growing attention. Onli ... Expand

Abstract: Gig-economy is a recent concept that has been attracting growing attention. Online labour markets (OLMs) are a prominent part of gig-economy and require completion of tasks digitally through platforms such as MTurk and Upwork. The World Bank estimated the total market size of OLMs to be $4.8 billion in 2016 which is expected to increase up to $25 billion in 2020. Despite the rapid growth of OLMs, the implications of workers’ wellbeing in such markets are not well understood and highly debated. A report commissioned by EU-OSHA has identified psycho-social risks associated with the work in OLMs. The highly competitive and fast-paced nature of OLMs necessitates workers to multitask and perform intense technology-enabled work which may lead to technostress. This paper investigates workers’ job satisfaction in OLMs using technostress and job characteristic theories with the aim of providing an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of workers. Our research model has both theoretical and practical implications which will help to diagnose potential problems and improve the wellbeing of workers by formulating strategies for OLMs and workers. The paper presents the results of a pilot study in a popular OLM using structural equation modelling. Collapse

Topics: job satisfaction technostress IT job insecurity task characteristic email spam

Methods: partial least squares regression structural equation modeling survey computational algorithm conceptual modelling

Gender Wage Gap in Online Gig Economy and Gender Differences in Job Preferences

2018 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 1

Authors: Liang, Chen; Hong, Yili; Gu, Bin; Peng, Jing

Abstract: We explore whether there exists gender wage gap in the gig economy and examine t ... Expand

Abstract: We explore whether there exists gender wage gap in the gig economy and examine to what degree gender differences in job application strategy could account for the gap. With a large-scale dataset from a leading online labor market, we show that females only earn around 81.4% of the hourly wage of their male counterparts. We further investigate three main aspects of job application strategy, namely bid timing, job selection, and avoidance of monitoring. After matching males with females using the propensity score matching method, we find that females tend to bid later and prefer jobs with a lower budget. In particular, the observed gender difference in bid timing can explain 7.6% of the difference in hourly wage, which could account for 41% of the gender wage gap (i.e. 18.6%) observed by us. Moreover, taking advantage of a natural experiment wherein the platform rolled out the monitoring system, we find that females are less willing to bid for monitored jobs than males. To further quantify the economic value of the gender difference in avoidance of monitoring, we run a field experiment on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT), which suggests that females tend to have a higher willingness to pay (WTP) for the avoidance of monitoring. The gender difference in WTP for the avoidance of monitoring can explain 8.1% of the difference in hourly wage, namely, 44% of the observed gender wage gap. Overall, our study reveals the important role of job application strategies in the persistent gender wage gap. Collapse

Topics: platform worker information systems strategy online labor market IT job human resource management

Methods: field experiment propensity score matching natural experiment experimental group experiment