The DOI matches its Crossref record; 99 of the 102 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 64 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
What Do Platforms Do? Understanding the Gig Economy
Abstract
The rapid growth of the platform economy has provoked scholarly discussion of its consequences for the nature of work and employment. We identify four major themes in the literature on platform work and the underlying metaphors associated with each. Platforms are seen as entrepreneurial incubators, digital cages, accelerants of precarity, and chameleons adapting to their environments. Each of these devices has limitations, which leads us to introduce an alternative image of platforms: as permissive potentates that externalize responsibility and control over economic transactions while still exercising concentrated power. As a consequence, platforms represent a distinct type of governance mechanism, different from markets, hierarchies, or networks, and therefore pose a unique set of problems for regulators, workers, and their competitors in the conventional economy. Reflecting the instability of the platform structure, struggles over regulatory regimes are dynamic and difficult to predict, but they are sure to gain in prominence as the platform economy grows.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This review identifies four dominant metaphors for platform work—entrepreneurial incubator, digital cage, accelerant of precarity, and institutional chameleon—and argues each is partial. It proposes an alternative image: platforms as “permissive potentates” that externalize responsibility and control while retaining concentrated power, making them a distinct governance mechanism from markets, hierarchies, or networks.
Key findings
- The literature is organized around four images: platforms as entrepreneurial incubators, digital cages, accelerants of precarity, and chameleons adapting to institutional environments; each contains partial truth but distorts platform affordances.
- Platforms are best understood as a new governance mechanism: they delegate control over work methods, schedules, and performance evaluation while retaining authority over task allocation, data collection, pricing, and revenue collection—hence “permissive potentates.”
- Platform work is highly heterogeneous; dependency status is a key determinant, with supplemental earners better able to refuse low-paying tasks and thus earn higher wages, exercise more autonomy, and report more satisfaction than dependent workers (Schor et al. 2019).
- Regulatory and collective-action struggles are dynamic: examples include California’s Dynamex ruling and Assembly Bill 5, New York City’s minimum wage for drivers, a 2019 global ride-hail strike, and SMart, a freelancers’ cooperative with 35,000 members since 1998; Chen (2018) found 40% of Didi drivers in China used digital strategies such as bots or multiple phones to subvert the algorithm.
Methods
- Design: a review article synthesizing sociological and related literature on the platform economy and gig work; no new primary data are collected.
- Data/sample: published studies, reports, and legal/regulatory developments; the authors construct a typology of five platform work types—architects/technologists, cloud-based consultants/freelancers, offline gig workers, microtaskers, and aspirational labor/content producers.
- Analysis: conceptual critique of four prevailing metaphors, development of the “permissive potentates” alternative, and review of regulatory struggles and a research agenda.
Limitations
- The paper states that platforms are a nascent, highly dynamic, and unstable economic form whose future is difficult to foresee; it cannot predict whether the platform governance mechanism will prove stable or institutionalized.
- The paper states that research is lopsided—abundant on service providers but much less on architects, technologists, and algorithmic design—and identifies understudied areas including systemic relations between conventional and platform economies, collective action, and alternative labor-condition strategies.
- Evident from the text: as a review, it does not report a systematic search protocol or primary empirical tests; its conclusions are interpretive syntheses of existing scholarship and reported cases.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
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Claims the paper makes
46 Own interpretation · 40 Not checked yet · 8 No basis given · 1 Own method
In the paper
“Chen's (2018) study of Didi drivers in China found that 40% were using digital strategies such as bots or owning multiple phones to subvert the algorithm.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Chen 2018
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Empirical studies have begun to find that workers can indeed develop forms of resistance, acting back on the technologies they confront.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“There are similar findings among delivery couriers, who also develop ways to resist algorithmic control (AttwoodCharles 2019,Schor et al. 2019, Shapiro 2018).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites AttwoodCharles 2019
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
- Not checked yetcites Shapiro 2018
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“For example, Rahman (2018) finds that freelancers on UpWork have found ways of defeating the platform's reputational metrics, essentially forming online alliances with clients to game the performance evaluation system.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rahman 2018
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Cameron's (2019) multicity study of Uber drivers showed that workers deploy an array of tactics to evade the platform's rules.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Cameron 2019
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Bereft of long-standing protections such as a minimum wage, safety and health regulation, retirement income, health insurance, and worker compensation, platform workers are forced to assume forms and levels of risk that were previously shouldered by employers and the state.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Platforms have thus far been able to avoid bearing the full costs and risks of employment, which they have devolved onto workers.”
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In the paper
“Platform workers bear all the costs of inadequate demand and lost earnings.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“And they are subject to deactivation, with its attendant consequences, when customers rate them poorly (Ravenelle 2019, Rosenblat 2018).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Ravenelle 2019
- Not checked yetcites Rosenblat 2018 source
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In the paper
“In her study of Uber in Boston, Robinson (2017) found that ride-hail drivers were able to build solidary ties among their own ranks, engaging in efforts to control the supply (and thereby the price) of their own labor power.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Robinson 2017
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- It may state two separate claims as one. 24
- Probably not a substantial claim. 27
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Nor have they to date.”
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In the paper
“Such tactics have recently gained wider use (Sweeney 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Sweeney 2019
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Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We identified four controlling images in the literature; however, each has weaknesses.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“These and other considerations provide abundant reasons for caution when generalizing about the nature and organization of platform work.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“A third category is gig workers whose services are engaged via platforms and generally performed offline, as in ride-hail, food delivery, home repair, and care work.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken & Schor 2017
- Not checked yetcites Irani 2015
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2019
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Labor market dynamics and demand conditions vary across the groups, with architects and technologists being in chronically short supply and gig, microtasker, and unpaid content producers suffering from chronic excess supply, conditions that platforms often exacerbate with ongoing recruitment.”
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“If the first, entrepreneurial view exhibits elements of utopian thinking, the opposite charge can be leveled at the second approach to platform work.”
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“as permissive potentates that externalize responsibility and control over economic transactions while still exercising concentrated power.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“In the presence of network effects, platforms can scale, dominate markets, and gain enough monopoly power that they can dictate conditions of exchange or develop monopsonistic positions in their labor markets (Dube et al. 2018, Khan 2017).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Dube et al. 2018
- Not checked yetcites Khan 2017
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“In particular, we focus on the shift from closed to open employment and the consequent retreat (Schor 2020) from direct control that platforms represent.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor 2020
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Yet as industrial sociology eventually revealed, workers often devise tactics that enable them to evade, defy, or subvert the dictates of the assembly line (Hamper 1991).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Hamper 1991
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim.
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In the paper
“The first category includes the architects and technologists of the platforms, who are founders, highly skilled employees, and independent contractors.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken & Schor 2017
- Not checked yetcites Irani 2015
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2019
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Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Furthermore, workers stand in different relations to the platform architecture, with architects serving as active designers (digital orthopedists), while others (microtaskers and many gig workers) are mainly passive recipients or users of the platform's affordances.”
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“it is unlikely that platforms will foster crowd-based capitalism or lead power and control to assume horizontal, peer-based configurations.”
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“A fourth type of platform work is performed entirely online, involving what is termed microtasking, as represented by workers engaged on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) or Figure Eight (formerly CrowdFlower).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken & Schor 2017
- Not checked yetcites Irani 2015
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2019
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Reflecting the instability of the platform structure, struggles over regulatory regimes are dynamic and difficult to predict, but they are sure to gain in prominence as the platform economy grows.”
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The platform economy will continue to grow.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Subjecting these images to critique, we find that while each contains a partial truth, each also exhibits elements of distortion concerning the affordances that platforms actually exhibit.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“A second type of platform work is performed by cloud-based consultants or freelancers who offer professional services via platforms such as UpWork or Freelancer.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken & Schor 2017
- Not checked yetcites Irani 2015
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2019
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Platform work also varies over time, owing to frequent changes in algorithmic designs, market conditions, and regulatory policy.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“we caution that platforms represent a nascent and highly dynamic economic form characterized by high levels of instability whose future is difficult to foresee.”
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“While platforms incorporate many of the features of prior economic structures-markets, hierarchies, and networks (Powell 1990)-they do so selectively, generating a type of governance mechanism that is qualitatively distinct from its precursors (Aneesh 2009, Kornberger et al. 2017).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Powell 1990
- Not checked yetcites Aneesh 2009
- Not checked yetcites Kornberger et al. 2017
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“By contrast, the third image of platform work is more cautious about the transformative nature of institutional shifts.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However different they are from one another, the first two images share the premise that labor platforms represent novel entities that signal a dramatic break, or rupture, with prior forms of work organization and economic activity.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“In effect, the labor process acquires a new geometry, in which ' control is radically distributed, while power remains centralized' (Kornberger et al. 2017, p. 79, emphasis added).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Kornberger et al. 2017
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Although platforms do create value-for example, by enabling more efficient operations and exchanges-their profits often depend on the ability to externalize the costs that conventional firms must pay (a form of free riding; see Schor et al. 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Some platforms also benefit from network effects, producing the concentrated markets and user lock-in that investors find so attractive, or from the harvesting of user data as a collateral source of value (see Rosenblat 2018; Srnicek 2016; Zuboff 2015, 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Rosenblat 2018 source
- Not checked yetcites Srnicek 2016
- Not checked yetcites Zuboff 2015, 2019
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“The effect, initially evident in temporary work and subcontracting, is to commodify labor time and disembed the worker from prior systems of social protection (Polanyi 1944, Wood et al. 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Polanyi 1944
- Not checked yetcites Wood et al. 2019
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“In such cases, platform earnings may actually decrease precarity and compensate for poor benefits or low wages in primary jobs or help reduce debt or build savings (Schor et al. 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The platform firm retains authority over important functions-the allocation of tasks, collection of data, pricing of services, and of course collection of revenues-but it cedes control over others, such as the specification of work methods, control over work schedules, and the labor of performance evaluation.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“we contend that platforms represent a distinctively new form of economic activity.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Schor et al. (2019) have argued that dependency status (i.e., how reliant platform workers are on their earnings to pay their basic living expenses) is a key determinant of outcomes”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Thus, they earn higher wages, exercise more autonomy over their conditions of work, and are more satisfied than those who are dependent (Schor et al. 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There is little question that algorithmic controls can and do inscribe managerial interests.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In ridehail and delivery, local provisioning means the absence of network effects and should make small cooperative entities viable.”
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“SMart and Stocksy engage high-skilled earners.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: SMart is a freelancers' cooperative with 35,000 members.
- Rests on an assumption: SMart has been functioning since 1998.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“They tend to share a common narrative.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“By contrast, platforms typically relinquish control over these processes, offering an open employment relation that greatly relaxes personnel selection criteria and affords workers considerable autonomy over when and how often to work (Schor et al. 2019).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Schor et al. 2019
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The authors are not aware of any affiliations, memberships, funding, or financial holdings that might be perceived as affecting the objectivity of this review.”
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We have added a fifth, which contends that from the point of view of labor and the future of work, platforms should be thought of as a new economic form, distinct from markets, firms, and networks.”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Most of these accounts feature this future as one of superexploitation, surveillance, and even more powerful corporate rule (Frenken 2017; Kenney & Zysman 2016, 2019; Pasquale 2016; Srnicek 2016).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken 2017
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2016, 2019
- Not checked yetcites Pasquale 2016
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Sulakshana et al. (2018) found that Stocksy United, a platform cooperative, resulted in better economic conditions and more satisfaction for its photographers.”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Sulakshana et al. (2018)
plaindirectSingle case- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“numerous analysts have attempted to predict the future of platforms (Frenken 2017; Kenney & Zysman 2015, 2016; Pasquale 2016; Scholz 2016b; Schor 2020; Srnicek 2016).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Frenken 2017
- Not checked yetcites Kenney & Zysman 2015, 2016
- Not checked yetcites Pasquale 2016
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, as we noted, the stability of the current configuration remains in doubt”
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: fails — The paper may give no reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper relies on this without support.
The platform economy will continue to grow.
“as the platform economy grows”
The paper relies on this without support.
Extracting profit from workers requires potent mechanisms of control.
“The history of capitalism suggests that extracting profit from workers requires potent mechanisms of control.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Labor platforms have established themselves as important players in domestic and increasingly global labor markets.
“Originally considered a curious novelty, labor platforms have now established themselves as important players in domestic and, increasingly, global labor markets.”
The paper relies on this without support.
SMart is a freelancers' cooperative with 35,000 members.
“In Europe, SMart, a successful freelancers' cooperative with 35,000 members, has been functioning since 1998.”
The paper relies on this without support.
SMart has been functioning since 1998.
“In Europe, SMart, a successful freelancers' cooperative with 35,000 members, has been functioning since 1998.”
The paper relies on this without support.
In carework, agencies capture rents for reputational assurance.
“The hope is that coops can also improve conditions for lower-wage workers in occupations such as carework, where agencies capture rents for reputational assurance, and housecleaning, where informality reigns.”
The paper relies on this without support.
In housecleaning, informality reigns.
“The hope is that coops can also improve conditions for lower-wage workers in occupations such as carework, where agencies capture rents for reputational assurance, and housecleaning, where informality reigns.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Online gig platforms can automatically match clients and housekeeping workers, streamline transactions, and manage reviews (Vallas and Schor 2020), tasks that heavily overlap with the duties of incumbent middle-skilled workers.”
From Skill-Biased Technical Change, Again? Online Gig Platforms and Local Employment (2025) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“This perspective is supported by several recent studies that recognized gig platforms as catalysts for entrepreneurial ventures (e.g., Barrios et al. 2020, Vallas andSchor 2020).”
From Skill-Biased Technical Change, Again? Online Gig Platforms and Local Employment (2025) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Third, online gig platforms lower barriers for workers to enter the job market, thus promoting selfemployment opportunities (Vallas and Schor 2020).”
From Skill-Biased Technical Change, Again? Online Gig Platforms and Local Employment (2025) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Differences across these types include the level of skill, the spatial dispersion of the work (Vallas and Schor 2020) and the nature of the employment relation.”
From Dependence and precarity in the platform economy (2020) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Vallas and Schor reference a large number of studies on working conditions for appworkers (see the more recent Moore and Woodstock 2021), and conclude that power asymmetry rather than horizontal democracy has so far been the experience of workers.”
From Artificial intelligence and work: a critical review of recent research from the social sciences (2024) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
In the citing paper
“Vallas and Schor reject an assumed view of platform workers that is overly homogeneous.Many platform workers in fact use the work to complement income, precarisation through platform is far from a universal trend.”
From Artificial intelligence and work: a critical review of recent research from the social sciences (2024) · cites this paper as Vallas and Schor 2020
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Dependence and precarity in the platform economy
Schor, J. B., Attwood-Charles, W., Cansoy, M., Ladegaard, I., & Wengronowitz, R. (2020) · Theory and Society · doi:10.1007/s11186-020-09408-y · Cited by 550
“A number of observers have produced typologies of types of work in the platform economy (Kenney and Zysman 2019; Vallas and Schor 2020).”
BackgroundSelf-citationThe Invisible Cage: Workers’ Reactivity to Opaque Algorithmic Evaluations
Rahman, H. A. (2021) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.1177/00018392211010118 · Cited by 375
“…platforms control aspects of how workers must act when working for them, but workers can technically set their own schedules, receive remuneration on a per-project basis, and use their own tools, resources, or equipment to complete the work (Shapiro, 2017; Vallas and Schor, 2020; Cameron, 2021).”
BackgroundInfluentialCottom, T. M. (2020) · Sociology of Race and Ethnicity · doi:10.1177/2332649220949473 · Cited by 284
Working on my own: Measuring the challenges of gig work
Caza, B. B., Reid, E. M., Ashford, S. J., & Granger, S. (2022) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/00187267211030098 · Cited by 249
“Even when controlling for gig-income dependence, which has been suggested to be a factor shaping gig workers’ experiences (Kuhn and Maleki, 2017; Vallas and Schor, 2020), those who earned the least overall reported higher levels of the challenges than did those who earned the most.”
BackgroundJoyce, K. A., Smith‐Doerr, L., Alegria, S. N., Bell, S. E., Cruz, T. M., Hoffman, S., Noble, S., & Shestakofsky, B. (2021) · Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World · doi:10.1177/2378023121999581 · Cited by 290
“ML systems may also draw on real-time data generated within the conduct of life itself, including the large volumes of data generated through everyday use of computer technologies and sensor devices such as smart phones and security cameras (Greenfield 2018; Neff and Nafus 2016; van Dijck 2014).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Vallas, S., & Schor, J. B.
- Affiliations
- Northeastern University (US)
- Boston College (US)
- Venue
- Annual Review of Sociology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2020-07-30
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 273-294
- ISSN
- 0360-0572 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2115
- OpenAlex
- W3019960341
- Semantic Scholar
- 271690a646b29b26e82362522b572b4a2481b0f2
- Cited by
- 1,354
- References
- 102
- Citations by year
- 2026: 291 · 2025: 279 · 2024: 264 · 2023: 231 · 2022: 169 · 2021: 95 · 2020: 23
- FWCI
- 22.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Economy and Work Transformation
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Industrial relations › Legal and Labor Studies
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Digital Platforms and Economics
- Keywords
- platform economy, platform work, gig economy, nature of work, employment, precarity, business incubators, governance mechanisms, platform regulation, concentration of power, economic transactions
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