Browsing by Subject "Uber"

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    The Impact of the Gig Economy on the Well-being of Independent Contractors. A Case Study of Uber, Bolt and Gokada
    (2022) Egesi, Tochukwu; Meyer, Camille
    The gig economy is a rising global phenomenon in which gig workers provide “alternative work arrangements” for short-term contracts; also known as gigs, primarily agreed upon via digital platforms for various services such as food delivery or transportation. Work in the gig economy is typically on-demand, procured through an online platform, and delivered (and paid for) on a task-by-task basis. It is irregular, uncertain, unpredictable, contingent (i.e.feasible but not guaranteed), and impermanent. Independent contractors, freelancers, and self-employed are the most common terms used by platforms to describe gig economy workers. Consequently, it is vastly different from the traditional economy's demand-oriented, long-termed, and formal structure. Gig workers have access to relatively flexible, potentially self-sufficient labour. Still, they also face issues due to the nature of the work, its precariousness, and their interactions with platform businesses. The influence of the gig economy has primarily been studied using objective indicators such as micro-entrepreneurship, work-life balance, and autonomy. However, little research has been done on the gig economy's impact on workers' well-being in third-world countries such as Nigeria. This research will examine financial, mental, and physical elements of gig workers' well-being. The study aims to better understand the relationship between worker participation in the gig economy and their overall well-being and provide insight into workers' well-being within the Nigerian gig economy.
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    Understanding some social implications of the global platform economy: a critical social theory study of Uber and Airbnb in the context of South Africa
    (2026) Steyn, Keegan; Ngwenyama, Ojelanki
    This dissertation critically investigates the platform economy as a contested socio-technical formation, focusing on Uber and Airbnb in South Africa as sites where disruption and inequality are recursively produced. Through this frame, the research reveals how these platforms unsettle conventional socio-economic systems while simultaneously legitimising hierarchies, a defining paradox of platform capitalism in the Global South. The findings, grounded in critical social theory, Media Influence Theory, Social Dominance Theory, and Winner-Takes-All Market Theory, are developed through an abductive and recursive dialogue between data and theory. The dissertation is structured into three interrelated studies. The first study examines South African online media representations of Uber and Airbnb through sentiment analysis informed by Media Influence Theory, uncovering divergent portrayals of the two platforms. The second study applies Social Dominance Theory to show how Airbnb functions as a hierarchy-enhancing platform while Uber emerges as hierarchy-attenuating, illuminating asymmetries in collective sentiment. The final study investigates how Uber and Airbnb narrated resilience during the COVID-19 crisis, highlighting recursive strategies of neoliberal adaptation and legitimisation. An integrated critical methodology is followed, combining sentiment analysis, critical discourse analysis, and abductive theorisation within recursive loops of theory and data. Findings reveal that media portrayals position Uber largely through themes of risk and contestation, while Airbnb is framed through opportunity and legitimacy. Social Dominance Theory clarifies how platforms differentially reproduce hierarchy, and their COVID-19 responses exemplify neoliberal resilience rather than structural transformation. This dissertation argues that the platform economy, manifested through Uber and Airbnb, operates recursively to disrupt conventional business models while entrenching inequalities under neoliberal logics. The study advances critical IS research by demonstrating abductive theorisation and recursive inquiry, while offering insights for scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders engaged in platform governance in the Global South.