Throughout the last decade, the 'gig economy' has emerged as one of the most significant developments in the world of work. As a novel, hyper-flexible form of labour, gig work features a uniquely fragmented working arrangement wherein independent workers partner with digital platform organisations to provide a range of on-demand services to customers. Work in the Gig Economy: A Research Overview provides a concise overview to the key themes and debate that encompass the gig economy literature. It covers five core themes: an introduction to gig work; classification issues; the role of technology; the experiences of gig workers; and the future of gig work. As an emerging and diverse research field, contributions stem from an array of perspectives including psychology, sociology, human resource management, legal studies, and technology management. The chapters synthesise the most prominent insights into this emerging field, key thinking on the complex relationships and conditions found in gig work, and the most significant issues to be addressed as the gig economy continues to develop. A critical introduction for students, scholars and reflective professionals and policymakers, this book provides much needed direction through the rapidly growing and expansive body of research on work in the gig economy.

This book explores the enactment of technologically mediated Human Resource Management (HRM) in the gig economy from various perspectives. The gig economy offers a new form of work which is in line with the ongoing consumer desire for convenience. Also known as the online platform, on-demand or digital platform economy, the gig economy is perhaps one of the most distinctive and extreme sides of the increasingly digitalised and fragmented nature of work. This volume examines various challenges that exist between online labor platforms and human resource management in the realm of the gig economy. The chapters in this book explore issues like institutional complexity, technological supervision of gig workers, recruitment in the gig economy, quality of work and work fairness. They further illustrate the importance of gig work being incorporated within the parameters of HRM research given the existence of many activities and practices that are typically associated with HR functions within traditional organisational forms. This book will be a beneficial read for advanced students and researchers of Management, Economics, Business and Marketing. It was originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of Human Resource Management.

Throughout the last decade, the 'gig economy' has emerged as one of the most significant developments in the world of work. As a novel, hyper-flexible form of labour, gig work features a uniquely fragmented working arrangement wherein independent workers partner with digital platform organisations to provide a range of on-demand services to customers. Work in the Gig Economy: A Research Overview provides a concise overview to the key themes and debate that encompass the gig economy literature. It covers five core themes: an introduction to gig work; classification issues; the role of technology; the experiences of gig workers; and the future of gig work. As an emerging and diverse research field, contributions stem from an array of perspectives including psychology, sociology, human resource management, legal studies, and technology management. The chapters synthesise the most prominent insights into this emerging field, key thinking on the complex relationships and conditions found in gig work, and the most significant issues to be addressed as the gig economy continues to develop. A critical introduction for students, scholars and reflective professionals and policymakers, this book provides much needed direction through the rapidly growing and expansive body of research on work in the gig economy.