Adaptation or workaround? The differential impact of perceived algorithmic control on platform workers’ coping behaviour

Based on attribution theory and social exchange theory, this paper explores how platform workers’ perceived algorithmic control influences their generation of different coping behaviours (adaptive service behaviour and workaround behaviour) through perceived relational and transactional psychological contract. Using a three-stage time lag survey of 419 platform workers, the findings reveal that when algorithmic performance promotion attribution is high, perceived algorithmic control enhances the worker’s perceived relational psychological contract, thereby promoting their adaptive service behaviours. Conversely, when algorithmic hostile attribution is high, perceived algorithmic control strengthens the worker’s perceived transactional psychological contract, and then promote their workaround behaviour. This study helps to unravel the ‘black box’ of how algorithmic control affects platform workers’ coping behaviours and confirms the important role of algorithmic attribution in shaping these behaviours. The findings provide new insights into explaining the differential outcomes of algorithmic control.