The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community-–students, faculty, and staff–-to attend a virtual research presentation by Hannah Johnston for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Management position, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Hannah Johnston is a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she researches algorithmic management in the platform economy and in Amazon’s warehouses. Hannah has worked for the International Labour Organization and with the European Trade Union Institute on various projects at the intersection of industrial relations and the future of work, and she maintains an ongoing research affiliation with Oxford Internet Institute’s Fairwork project. Her doctoral research (Queen’s University) focused on the New York City taxicab industry where she examined the collective organizing strategies used by drivers to improve working conditions and pay, and to strengthen regulation. Her work has been published in edited volumes and various journals including International Labour Review, ILR Review, Labor Studies Journal, and Global Networks.

Presentation Title:  Managing on-demand services in the gig economy: Evidence from a natural experiment

Abstract:

This paper uses data from a natural experiment to address one of the most contentious issues in the on-demand platform economy—whether gig work is compatible with employment. On one hand, platforms have argued that formal employment would increase firm costs and curtail flexibility for drivers, and that it is incompatible with their “business model”. On the other, critics cite the significant control that platform firms have over their workers as evidence of employment misclassification, which has left workers without the rights and protections afforded by a formal employment relationship. Opportunities to conduct data-driven assessments of the merits of these arguments, however, are rare. This paper analyzes a US-based package delivery platform that shifted a subset of its workers from independent contractors to employees. Using operational data and interviews with key informants, it examines whether the shift reduced platform workers’ flexibility and scheduling autonomy, and whether it contributed to the firm's predictability and control over its labor supply. Amidst continuing debates about platform regulation and management, this paper presents important insights into the needs and challenges of firms providing on-demand services.

The presentation will take place on January 26 from 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/67307878666?pwd=cEJhSzk2c1hGTjZ0Mnk5eE9HdU5NZz09

Meeting ID: 673 0787 8666
Passcode: 664733

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.