Delineating The Multifaceted Consequences of Algorithmic Management for Gig Workers : A Literature Review

Algorithmic management (AM) refers to the employment of computational algorithms to perform managerial responsibilities in place of human managers and is pervasively used in the gig economy. AM practices not only enable the scalable operations of online labour platforms but also entail diverse consequences for gig workers who constantly interact with them during services. While current Information Systems (IS) research shows a growing interest in AM in the gig economy, studies on gig worker-related AM consequences remain fragmented. To address this, we conduct a literature review on existing IS studies. Using a thematic analysis approach, we identify three types of AM consequences for gig workers: 1) AM-driven work conditions, 2) gig workers’ emotional and cognitive reactions, and 3) their behaviours targeted at different parties. Based on our findings, we propose several directions for future IS research and discuss the theoretical and practical insights offered by this study.