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2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Abhari, K.; Xiao, B.

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Topics: sharing platform platform worker cryptocurrency communities of practice platform work site

Theories: theory of affordance

Algorithmic Management: Its Implications for Information Systems Research

2023 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 4

Authors: Cameron, Lindsey; Lamers, Laura; Leicht-Deobald, Ulrich; Lutz, Christoph; Meijerink, Jeroen; Möhlmann, Mareike

Abstract: In recent years, the topic of algorithmic management has received increasing at ... Expand

Abstract: In recent years, the topic of algorithmic management has received increasing attention in information systems (IS) research and beyond. As both emerging platform businesses and established companies rely on artificial intelligence and sophisticated software to automate tasks previously done by managers, important organizational, social, and ethical questions emerge. However, a cross-disciplinary approach to algorithmic management that brings together IS perspectives with other (sub-)disciplines such as macro-and micro-organizational behavior, business ethics, and digital sociology is missing, despite its usefulness for IS research. This article engages in cross-disciplinary agenda setting through an in-depth report of a professional development workshop (PDW) entitled "Algorithmic Management: Toward a Cross-Disciplinary Research Agenda" delivered at the 2021 Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Three leading experts (Mareike Möhlmann, Lindsey Cameron, and Laura Lamers) on the topic provide their insights on the current status of algorithmic management research, how their work contributes to this area, where the field is heading in the future, and what important questions should be answered going forward. These accounts are followed up by insights from the breakout group discussions at the PDW that provided further input. Overall, the experts and workshop participants emphasized that future research should examine both the desirable and undesirable outcomes of algorithmic management and should not shy away from posing ethical and normative questions. Collapse

Topics: algorithmic management sensemaking platform worker Uber pandemic

Methods: computational algorithm theory development group interview ethnography grounded theory

Theories: organizational behavior theory enactment theory

Revolutionizing Crowdworking Campaigns: Conquering Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard with the Help of Smart Contracts

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hupe, Anna; Bretschneider, Ulrich

Abstract: Crowdworking is increasingly being applied by companies to outsource tasks beyo ... Expand

Abstract: Crowdworking is increasingly being applied by companies to outsource tasks beyond their core competencies flexibly and cost-effectively to an unknown group. However, the anonymous and financially incentivized nature of crowdworkers creates information asymmetries and conflicts of interest, leading to inefficiencies and intensifying the principal-agent problem. Our paper offers a solution to the widespread problem of inefficient Crowdworking campaigns. We first derive the currently applied Crowdworking campaign process based on a qualitative study. Subsequently, we identify the broadest adverse selection and moral hazard problems in the process. We then analyze how the blockchain application of smart contracts can counteract those challenges and develop a process model that maps a Crowdworking campaign using smart contracts. We explain how our developed process significantly reduces adverse selection and moral hazard at each stage. Thus, our research provides approaches to make online labor more attractive and transparent for companies and online workers. Collapse

Topics: smart contract moral hazard crowdsourcing blockchain platform work site

Methods: qualitative interview business process modeling qualitative coding theoretical contribution literature study

Theories: agency theory lemon market theory contract theory new institutional economics

SMARTER CROWDWORK BY APPLYING SMART CONTRACTS?

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hupe, Anna; Bretschneider, Ulrich

Abstract: Crowdworking is characterized by flexibly engaging a workforce that is recruite ... Expand

Abstract: Crowdworking is characterized by flexibly engaging a workforce that is recruited for only one task. After the task is completed, the crowdworker and the company do not collaborate anymore. To identify the best-suited crowdwoker for a certain task, crowd working platform providers offer different tools to match both parties. Matching a crowdworker with the required skills for a task is an important factor to complete a crowdworking campaign successfully. As of today, the principal agent theorem and high transaction costs decrease the effectiveness of such campaigns due to information asymmetries between crodworkers and crowdsourcers. Based on a qualitative approach, we structurally develop a currently existing crowdworking campaign process. We then theoretically analyze how smart contracts can support and simplify the identified process while reducing the challenges of transaction cost economics and the principal agent theorem. Collapse

Topics: smart contract crowdsourcing platform work site blockchain anonymity

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding design science business process modeling

Theories: transaction cost economics lemon market theory agency theory

Content Creators Between Platform Control and User Autonomy

2023 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 0

Authors: Hödl, Tatjana; Myrach, Thomas

Abstract: Content creators generate and upload content on social media platforms. If these ... Expand

Abstract: Content creators generate and upload content on social media platforms. If these platforms have a revenue-sharing policy, content creators earn income from advertising revenue. This income is heavily dependent on the distribution of the content and the resulting view counts. Platform owners may exert algorithmic control that impacts content distribution, advertising income, and, consequently, the behaviour of content creators. The objectives of the platform owners combined with the interests of the content creators may lead to paradoxical tensions between the aims of control and autonomy. The opaque nature of algorithms coupled with the need to be recognised by the algorithm further reinforces this phenomenon. This study follows an interpretive qualitative research approach applying grounded theory methodology. This research uses semi-structured interviews with content creators to develop a theory explaining the tension between control and autonomy on revenue-sharing social media platforms. The study shows that algorithmic control and incentivisation create paradoxical tensions that affect the autonomy of content creators. Content creators attempt to minimise tensions of algorithm versus audience, regularity versus scheduling autonomy, and analytics versus decision-making autonomy in two ways: through self-centred measures such as improving metrics, pre-production, and being a pioneer and extraneous measures involving their own businesses, products, and sponsorships. This study sheds some light on the phenomenon of paradoxical tensions and provides guidance and strategies for content creators and platform owners about proceeding with their relationship. This study’s findings provide platform owners and decision-makers with a deeper understanding of the behaviour of content creators and the hurdles they face in platform work. The findings help them identify challenges, draw conclusions, and implement changes. Collapse

Topics: social media YouTube Twitch advertising management price management

Methods: qualitative interview computational algorithm grounded theory theory development personal interview

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

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE? – THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ATTENTION SCREENING AND REPUTATION ON CROWDWORKING PLATFORMS

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Laux, Florian; Poniatowski, Martin; Kundisch, Dennis

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Topics: crowdsourcing online reputation system platform work site web API word of mouth

Methods: experiment experimental design survey experimental task theory development

Algorithm Sensemaking: How Platform Workers Make Sense of Algorithmic Management

2023 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 3

Authors: Möhlmannn, Mareike; Salge, Carolina Alves de Lima; Marabelli, Marco

Abstract: Algorithmic management can create work environment tensions that are detrimental ... Expand

Abstract: Algorithmic management can create work environment tensions that are detrimental to workplace well-being and productivity. One specific type of tension originates from the fact that algorithms often exhibit limited transparency and are perceived as highly opaque, which impedes workers’ understanding of their inner workings. While algorithmic transparency can facilitate sensemaking, the algorithm’s opaqueness may aggravate sensemaking. By conducting an empirical case study in the context of the Uber platform, we explore how platform workers make sense of the algorithms managing them. Drawing on Weick’s enactment theory, we theorize a new form of sensemaking—algorithm sensemaking—and unpack its three sub-elements: (1) focused enactment, (2) selection modes, and (3) retention sources. The sophisticated, multistep process of algorithm sensemaking allows platform workers to keep up with algorithmic instructions systematically. We add to previous literature by theorizing algorithm sensemaking as a mediator linking workers’ perceptions about tensions in their work environment and their behavioral responses. Collapse

Topics: sensemaking Uber platform worker algorithmic transparency algorithmic management

Methods: computational algorithm theory development qualitative interview case study theoretical contribution

Theories: enactment theory

Optimal Distinctiveness: The Role of Platform Size and Identity

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 1

Authors: Sobota, Vladimir; Van De Kaa, Geerten; Van Beers, Cees; Ortt, Roland J.

Abstract: Recent theoretical advances hold that platforms comprise a second strategic dime ... Expand

Abstract: Recent theoretical advances hold that platforms comprise a second strategic dimension next to size, called identity, which describes the platform’s techno-logical and market scope. Letting go of platform size as the main criterion for platform value opens the possibility for platforms to pursue differentiation strategies with a distinct market positioning. The concept of optimal distinctiveness (OD) implies that differentiation can be optimized so that it maximizes performance. In this paper, we draw on recent OD research in and outside of the field of platforms and elaborate on the role of platform size within the distinctiveness framework. We discuss platform size and identity in the context of OD and suggest propositions for future research. The paper contributes to the management of platforms and OD in platform markets by showing how a platform’s distinctiveness strategy may depend on its size. We contribute to platform management across various platform sizes and to research on OD in platform markets. Collapse

Topics: platform work site online learning system crowdsourcing economies of scope network effect

Methods: theory development

BUILDING AND SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES IN ONLINE LABOUR PLATFORMS

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Suvivuo, Sampsa; Rinta-Kahila, Tapani; Tuunainen, Virpi

Abstract: Online labour platforms enable the trading of services by connecting buyers who ... Expand

Abstract: Online labour platforms enable the trading of services by connecting buyers who need services with providers willing to deliver those services. One crucial element to a platform's longevity and success lies in creating and fostering a thriving communityotherwise, the platform is more likely to perish. However, we know very little about how such communities can be built. Extant studies have overlooked different stakeholder groups' roles in community building and how primarily online platforms utilize offline activities. In this paper, we study the community-building efforts of six generalist online labour platforms that have succeeded to thrive longer than an average platform. Beyond the traditional stakeholder roles of providing a marketplace (platform), delivering services (providers) and purchasing services (buyers), we find novel unique and shared roles that foster a well-functioning community. We identify four levers of community building: encouraging community participation, involving users, empowering providers, and empowering buyers. Collapse

Topics: Twitter platform work site Fiverr website spreadsheet

Methods: case study survey triangulation qualitative coding multiple case study