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Unfairness by Design? The Perceived Fairness of Digital Labor on Crowdworking Platforms

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  • Christian Fieseler

    (Norwegian Business School (BI))

  • Eliane Bucher

    (Norwegian Business School (BI))

  • Christian Pieter Hoffmann

    (University of Leipzig)

Abstract

Based on a qualitative survey among 203 US workers active on the microwork platform Amazon Mechanical Turk, we analyze potential biases embedded in the institutional setting provided by on-demand crowdworking platforms and their effect on perceived workplace fairness. We explore the triadic relationship between employers, workers, and platform providers, focusing on the power of platform providers to design settings and processes that affect workers’ fairness perceptions. Our focus is on workers’ awareness of the new institutional setting, frames applied to the mediating platform, and a differentiated analysis of distinct fairness dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Fieseler & Eliane Bucher & Christian Pieter Hoffmann, 2019. "Unfairness by Design? The Perceived Fairness of Digital Labor on Crowdworking Platforms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 987-1005, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:156:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3607-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3607-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Friedland, Julian & Balkin, David B., 2023. "When gig workers become essential: Leveraging customer moral self-awareness beyond COVID-19," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 181-190.
    2. Gerber, Christine, 2021. "Community building on crowdwork platforms: Autonomy and control of online workers?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 25(2), pages 190-211.
    3. Brad Greenwood & Idris Adjerid & Corey M. Angst & Nathan L. Meikle, 2022. "How Unbecoming of You: Online Experiments Uncovering Gender Biases in Perceptions of Ridesharing Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 499-518, January.
    4. Niki Panteli & Andriana Rapti & Dora Scholarios, 2020. "‘If He Just Knew Who We Were’: Microworkers’ Emerging Bonds of Attachment in a Fragmented Employment Relationship," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(3), pages 476-494, June.
    5. Yao, Qiongrui (Missy) & Baker, LaKami T. & Lohrke, Franz T., 2022. "Building and sustaining trust in remote work by platform-dependent entrepreneurs on digital labor platforms: Toward an integrative framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 327-339.
    6. Barbara Švagan, 2023. "Understanding the paradox of high job quality evaluations among platform workers," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Mourelatos, Evangelos, 2021. "Personality and Ethics on Online Labor Markets: How mood influences ethical perceptions," EconStor Preprints 244735, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    8. Bingbing Zhang & Yin Yao & Guangkui Han & Jialiang He & Yu Xie & Xinyu Wang, 2023. "How Does Platform Labour Process Control Affect Courier’s Employment Mobility Intentions?—The Mediating Effects of Overtime Work and Job Autonomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.
    9. Xiaochuan Song & Graham H. Lowman & Peter Harms, 2020. "Justice for the Crowd: Organizational Justice and Turnover in Crowd-Based Labor," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-37, November.

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