“We live in a society that pathologically associates worth with work. If one is not working, one has no worth. To be unable to work is practically tantamount to being a non-person.” - Crowdworker who faces exclusion from traditional employment due to mental health issues.
This quote emphasizes the importance of work in people’s life: having access to paidwork gives people the chance to participate in social life not only by offering them monetary compensation to make a living, but also by fulfilling basic psychological needs such as dignity, purpose, and a sense of belonging. In contrast, being excluded from paid work opportunities and systematically facing the threat of unemployment can create serious personal and social challenges including increased risks for depression, crime and violence. Yet, despite their willingness to work, many people are excluded from traditional employment due to personal circumstances such as physical disabilities, extensive care duties or a lack of education and specific skills. Thus, many of these individuals turn to micro-task crowdsourcing (MTCS) platforms as one of the few or sometimes even the only opportunity to participate in paid work activities.
Micro-Task Crowdsourcing (MTCS) Platforms as Controversial Work Alternatives
MTCS platforms offer work settings outside the boundaries of traditional labor markets. These platforms increasingly gain in popularity because they don’t have any professional or other restricting entry barriers which enables a large audience easy access to paid work. Crowdworkers simply register on these online platforms after which they can freely select from numerous short-term tasks that various requesters put out in exchange for limited financial compensation. The workers conduct the tasks independently and remotely without any employment relationships being established with requesters. While MTCS platforms are valued for their autonomy and flexibility, they are simultanously heavily criticized for the often precarious work conditions including a lack of social structures, job stability and sufficient financial compensation. Yet, little is known about the perception on MTCS of crowdworkers who heavily depend on MTCS as their only source of income due to personal circumstances.
Giving Marginalized Workers a Voice
“Our study aims to give crowdworkers a voice who turn to MTCS platforms as their only way to participate in paid work activities due to physical disabilities, mental health issues, extensive care commitments or other challenging personal circumstances”, says Dr. Anne-Sophie Mayer from the KIN Center for Digital Innovation who is the leading author of a new study on MTCS and marginalized crowdworkers published in the Information Systems Journal. She and her co-authors gained in-depth insights into marginalized crowdworkers’ personal backgrounds, on why they joined MTCS and how their participation on these platforms affected their life. “It was very intriguing to learn that MTCS did not only positively affect crowdworkers’ professional life by giving them the opportunity to try out new tasks and learn additional skills but that MTCS also contributed to crowdworkers’ personal life. For example, one crowdworker who suffers from severe depression and anxiety reported that MTCS helped her to structure her day, get out of bed and to establish a new routine to her life. Moreover, she felt that she can now contribute to society whereas she previously felt being dependent on others before joining MTCS. This example emphasizes that although crowdworkers are still confronted with their personal circumstances, MTCS often helped them in better coping with their situation and to perceive a new meaning to their life”, explains Mayer.
A Silver Lining for the Excluded: The Study’s Findings
Interestingly, the study showed how specific properties of the platform that are usually criticized in the literature are actually crucial for these workers to be able to participate in MTCS. For example, MTCS platforms’ missing social support and lack of personal interactions are often considered as problematic. However, for workers who suffer from social anxieties this property is vital. “We heard from many workers with social phobia or anxieties that they can only work in MTCS because there is no mandatory interaction with others. And this is why MTCS is very unique because many other gig-economy jobs such as being an Uber driver or food delivery worker require social interactions with customers or other stakeholders”, says Mayer. Overall, the study found four platform properties that are salient for marginalized workers, namely (1) ubiquitous platformaccess, (2) piece-like and simple task design, (3) relationally detached task execution, and (4) anonymized task participation. These MTCS properties are interrelated with the identified personal circumstances, as they meet the needs arising from each personal circumstance. As a result and despite challenging conditions, the study found that MTCS platform work affords marginalized workers several experiences that are not possible outside MTCS. These afforded experiences refer to (1) constructing personal significance, (2) driving occupational self-reliance, (3) developing professional competence, (4) finding occupational belongingness, and (5) contributing to society.
The study yields important implications for platforms, policy makers and society and other relevant stakeholders involved in the social inclusivity of working environments.
While certainly not applicable in all work settings, our findings show the high relevance of creating inclusive workplaces that allow people with special needs related to personal circumstances to work. Moreover, the study informs relevant stakeholders on how to learn from virtual platform design, and how to use technology in providing work environments that prevent the exclusion of workers with specific needs and that offer them better and more suitable work opportunities.
Reference (Open Access): Mayer, A.-S., Ihl, A., Grabl, S., Strunk, K., & Fiedler, M. (2024). A silver lining for the excluded: Exploring experiences that micro‐task crowdsourcing affords workers with impaired work access. Information Systems Journal. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/isj.12511