Shifting organizational identification in the gig economy: a phenomenological study of delivery workers

Purpose This study explores how organizational identification (OI) bonds develop and evolve over time in the context of platform-mediated delivery work, an increasingly prevalent form of gig work. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a longitudinal and phenomenological approach. Data were gathered through overt participant observation and semi-structured interviews, comprising an initial recruiting session and four waves of interviews conducted over seven months, yielding a total of 62 interviews with 19 delivery workers. Findings The findings reveal that while platforms attempt to foster OI through various mechanisms, the interplay of algorithmic management, inconsistent organizational practices (notably via the support line acting as an human resources [HR] channel) and platform governance frequently erodes these identification bonds and drives an OI deconstruction process, leading to shifts toward non-positive forms of identification. The study highlights how these states emerge and evolve over time in response to organizational practices and workers' lived experiences. Originality/value By unpacking the dynamic processes of OI development, erosion and rejection in a gig work context, this research extends OI theory to precarious and algorithmically managed work environments. It offers a nuanced perspective on non-positive forms of identification: ambivalent, disidentification, de-identification and neutral identification, thereby contributing to both human resource management practice in platform work and broader organizational psychology debates on the nature of identification in transient and precarious employment relationships.