Die Konferenz, die das European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management alle zwei Jahre ausrichtet, findet vom 15. bis zum 17. September statt. Sie beschäftigt sich methoden- und themenübergreifend mit der aktuellen Forschung und künftigen Trends im Bereich Performance Measurement und Management Control. Statt wie üblich in Nizza wird die Veranstaltung aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie in diesem Jahr virtuell durchgeführt.
Kassian Kenner und Mischa Seiter
Management Control Practices in the Gig Economy: The Case of Food Delivery Companies
Abstract: Technology-intermediated gig work has emerged as a highly relevant form of modern working arrangement. The specific characteristics of gig work, algorithmic instead of human supervision, social isolation of gig workers and low commitment between gig workers and the company, present a novel setting for management control. In this paper, we explore how these characteristics are reflected in gig companies’ management controls for gig workers. We conduct research on the largest food delivery companies active in the U.S. and the EU. In line with the absence of a human supervisor, we find a low degree of subjectivity in performance measurement. Customer ratings are the main source of subjectivity and also imply that control is partly delegated to the customers. Surprisingly, we find high relevance of controls linked to social comparisons, notably RPI, despite social isolation. Furthermore, we find low relevance of personnel controls, reflecting the low commitment between gig workers and the company. We contribute to the literature by providing descriptive evidence on the wide variety of management control practices related to gig workers.