Open research questions in Digital Economy and Work Transformation

What the literature leaves open

• Further research should consider the impact of the UK Employment Rights Bill on fair work in the hospitality sector, - Research should explore the effectiveness of sector-specific approaches to achieving fair hospitality work

  Evaluating fair hospitality work in Scotland: a benchmarking, sector-focused analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Traditional cross-country comparisons often overlook sectoral contexts. The hospitality sector faces unique challenges that require a sector-specific approach. Prior work has not adequately addressed the issue of fair work in the hospitality sector.

  Evaluating fair hospitality work in Scotland: a benchmarking, sector-focused analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Theoretical gap between mainstream psychology and the subjectivity predicament of digital laborers - Methodological limitations of Fromm's framework - Historical and normative blind spots in Fromm's theories

  From alienation to deficitization: the subjectivity predicament of digital laborers · 2026 · DOI

• Theoretical assumptions in mainstream psychology treat psychological needs as ahistorical, universal constants. Critiques exist regarding the normative assumptions in Fromm's framework about human fulfillment and authenticity. The concept of 'social character' may oversimplify complex individual experiences.

  From alienation to deficitization: the subjectivity predicament of digital laborers · 2026 · DOI

• The tension between operational speed and the conditions under which work is performed in digital labor platforms. The need to balance enforcing platform demands and maintaining workforce stability. The complexity of offline operational contexts, including merchant preparation delays, traffic congestion, and extreme weather.

  Managerial Buffering and the Sustainability Paradox: How Intermediary Organizations Shape the Social Sustainability of Platform Labor · 2026 · DOI

• Examining the dual effects of informal governance and street-level discretion in platform labor, - Investigating the structural level effects of managerial buffering, - Studying the impact of algorithmic management on labor control

  Managerial Buffering and the Sustainability Paradox: How Intermediary Organizations Shape the Social Sustainability of Platform Labor · 2026 · DOI

• The literature is silent on the factors underlying the trends in domestic outsourcing. There is a lack of understanding of the role of technological change in driving domestic outsourcing. The paper identifies a gap in the literature on the implications of domestic outsourcing for the distribution of earnings.

  Technological Change and Domestic Outsourcing · 2024 · DOI

• The issue of equity has gained heightened prominence in China. There exists a stark disparity in income levels and wage satisfaction among rural laborers. The average monthly income of rural migrant workers in 2021 stood at merely half the level of their urban counterparts during the same period.

  Digital Infrastructure Construction and Improvement of Non-Farm Employment Quality of Rural Labor Force—From the Perspective of Informal Employment · 2024 · DOI

• The article contributes to research on digital transformation in inclusive work settings by examining DWI adoption in a context that remains underexplored in the literature, and it offers practical insights for managers and policymakers involved in WISE digitalisation.

  Digital Work Instructions for Work Integration Social Enterprises: Results From a Mixed Methods Study in Flanders · 2026 · DOI

• Most research on emotional labour in service workers has focused on companions; the psychological experience of paying players has not been studied much.

  Transactional Intimacy in Delta Force: Psychological Effects of Paid Gaming Companionship on Players and Service Providers · 2026 · DOI

• Limited evidence suggests a correlation between business practices-algorithmic management and rating systems-and poor mental health.

  What is known about the health of location-based and online web-based digital labour platform workers? A scoping review of the literature · 2025 · DOI

• Despite increasing attention to platform work, limited research has examined its direct impact on workers' physical, mental, and social well-being.

  What is known about the health of location-based and online web-based digital labour platform workers? A scoping review of the literature · 2025 · DOI

• Abstract With growing global attention on sustainability, financial inclusion, and decent work, there remains a gap in understanding how financial literacy, access to capital, and digital payment usage impact both decent work and environmental sustainability, particularly in the context of developing economies.

  Nexus of digital financial service adoption, decent work and environmental sustainability: results from SEM-NCA approaches · 2025 · DOI

• To address the existing gap in research regarding how social support influences gig work performance and its underlying mechanisms within emerging digital gig platforms, this study integrates Social Support Theory and Affective Events Theory to systematically examine the effects of platform organizational support, customer review support, and family emotional support on gig work performance.

  Multidimensional social support and gig workers’ performance in digital platforms: a chain-mediated model integrating emotion and autonomy · 2025 · DOI

• , 2024;Merola, 2022), two key dimensions that remain underexplored in the UBI discussion are 1) the utilitarian calculation behind the AI-justified UBI narrative;, and 2) the associated concept of symbolic violence, as articulated by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu.

  AI, universal basic income, and power: symbolic violence in the tech elite's narrative · 2025 · DOI

• Background Digital labor platforms project a vision of flexibility and improved work‐family balance for workers; however, empirical evidence supporting these promises remains elusive.

  From flexibility to unending availability: Platform workers' experiences of work–family conflict · 2024 · DOI

• Moreover, caution is warranted regarding the potential for digital infrastructure construction to exacerbate existing power differentials and widen socioeconomic disparities through the perpetuation of the digital divide.

  Digital Infrastructure Construction and Improvement of Non-Farm Employment Quality of Rural Labor Force—From the Perspective of Informal Employment · 2024 · DOI

• A recent study of 10 independent liberal arts colleges indi- cated that trustees vary widely in the amount of time they spend on board duties, the most active giving an average of one and one-half days per month in addition to scheduled meet- ings and the least active doing nothing but attending meetings, if that (Wood 1985, p.

  Factors affecting the work of the board · 1987 · DOI

• This of course remains to be proved; if it is in the future then the labour process debate will have been fruitful.

  The Deskilling Debate, New Technology and Work Organization · 1987 · DOI

• Communication issues and lack of commitment are common challenges faced by HR while managing gig workers. The gig economy presents challenges related to communication, engagement, performance evaluation, and legal compliance.

  Role of HR in Managing Gig Workers and the Freelance Economy · 2026 · DOI

• Although the study provides valuable insights into the role of HR in managing gig workers and freelancers, it is subject to certain limitations. Firstly, the sample size used in the study is relatively small, consisting of only 59 respondents. A larger sample size could have provided more comprehensive and generalizable results. Secondly, a significant proportion of respondents were students. While students may have awareness about gig work, their limited professional experience may affect the depth of insights related to organizational HR practices. Another limitation is the geographical constraint of the study. The research primarily focuses on respondents associated with specific regions and organizations, which may not fully represent the global or national gig workforce. Additionally, the study relies largely on self-reported data collected through questionnaires and surveys. Such responses may sometimes be influenced by personal perceptions or biases. Time constraints also limited the scope of the research. A longer research period could have allowed for deeper analysis and more extensive interaction with HR professionals and gig workers. Finally, since the gig economy is rapidly evolving, HR practices and policies related to gig workers may continue to change over time. Therefore, the findings of this study represent the situation during the specific period in which the research was conducted. © 2026, IJSREM | https://ijsrem.com DOI: 10.55041/IJSREM59040 | Page 10 International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management (IJSREM) Volume: 10 Issue: 04 | April - 2026 SJIF Rating: 8.659 ISSN: 2582-3930 10. Suggestions / Recommendations Based on the findings of the study, several recommendations can be proposed to improve the • management of gig workers and freelancers within organizations. • First, organizations should develop clear and structured HR policies specifically designed for gig workers. These policies should address recruitment, compensation, performance evaluation, and communication to ensure transparency and consistency. • Second, HR departments should implement structured performance management systems that allow organizations to monitor the productivity and quality of work delivered by gig workers. Clear performance indicators and feedback mechanisms can help maintain accountability and improve project outcomes. • Third, organizations should strengthen communication channels between HR teams and gig workers. Regular check-ins, virtual meetings, and digital communication platforms can help maintain engagement and ensure that gig workers remain aligned with organizational objectives. • Fourth, companies should provide more opportunities for training and skill development to gig workers. Even though gig workers are engaged on a temporary basis, providing learning opportunities can enhance their productivity and build a more capable workforce. • Fifth, organizations should ensure fair and timely compensation for gig workers. Transparent payment systems and well-defined contracts can help build trust and strengthen long-term relationships with freelance professionals. • workers will allow organizations to quickly access qualified professionals when new projects arise. • Finally, organizations should focus on building an inclusive work culture where gig workers feel valued and respected. Recognizing their contributions and involving them in organizational communication can improve engagement and encourage continued collaboration. Sixth, HR departments should create a structured gig talent database.

  Role of HR in Managing Gig Workers and the Freelance Economy · 2026 · DOI

• Prior literature seems to pinpoint various experiences of unfairness among gig workers. There is a need to examine the factors associated with gig drivers' experience of fairness.

  Organisational Justice Among Gig Drivers: A Case of a Transport Platform Company in Finland · 2026 · DOI

• Driver negotiation power over individual gig income at Biila is noted as exceptional but the study does not quantify the scope of this negotiation (e.g., percentage of gigs negotiable, typical price ranges offered), measure actual use of this feature among drivers, or assess how perceived versus actual negotiation power affects distributive justice experience.

  Organisational Justice Among Gig Drivers: A Case of a Transport Platform Company in Finland · 2026 · DOI

• The current platform-based delivery economy has issues of power imbalances, information asymmetries, and value misalignments, - There is a need for a decentralized approach to address these issues

  Envisioning Alternative Futures for Delivery Work: Toward a Decentralized Network Built on the OpenCourier Protocol · 2026 · DOI

• While we present a decentralized, protocol-based approach as an alternative future for delivery work, future work guiding imple- mentation and adoption are crucial to make this future viable. Here we highlight two key areas. 5.1 Designing a Governance Model A decentralized network introduces unpredictable dynamics of competition and collaboration among platforms. We believe the governance model of such a decentralized network would require exploration in the following perspectives: 1) How do instances man- age themselves? E.g., Instances need to decide how to protect in- dividual couriers from harm, as well as how to deal with couriers who break collective rules. They must also set processes for setting, enforcing, and revising any such norms. 2) How do instances manage interactions with one another? E.g., Instances may be geographically adjacent and even overlap in workers, but have different pay poli- cies that lead to conflict and unhealthy competition. 3)How does the network manage its registry of courier collectives? E.g., the network needs to set rules and processes to safeguard against instances pro- viding illegal or harmful services and that couriers operating in bad faith are not simply hopping from instance to instance. 5.2 Community Adoption and Adaptation of the Protocol A key challenge for any network is attracting a sufficient number of adopters. Many indie platforms already operate with established infrastructures for order management, task assignment, and pay- ment processing. Joining the decentralized network requires them to adapt or extend their systems to support the open protocol. One promising path is the development of dynamic adaptors that trans- late between existing endpoints in the white-label software and the protocol, avoiding the need for wholesale system replacement and lowering integration barriers. Such adaptors could also enable interoperability across multiple protocol-based networks in the future. Similar tools already exist in decentralized social media—for example, BridgyFed and Nipy-Bridge [6, 42]—which connect oth- erwise incompatible protocols. By reducing adoption friction and demonstrating practical interoperability, adapters can accelerate the growth of the decentralized network that supports shared gov- ernance and worker-centered design. Broadly, the sustainability of this network also requires enough consumers moving to platforms that operate as part of it, away from or in addition to existing centralized platforms. Future work must also consider how consumer-facing systems might integrate into this ecosystem of delivery work.

  Envisioning Alternative Futures for Delivery Work: Toward a Decentralized Network Built on the OpenCourier Protocol · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Digital Economy and Work Transformation

• The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · 2016 · 5,484 citations
• TIME, WORK-DISCIPLINE, AND INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM · Past & Present · 1967 · 2,329 citations
• The Technology of Skill Formation · American Economic Review · 2007 · 2,039 citations
• Free Labor · Social Text · 2000 · 1,337 citations
• On the economy of the human-processing system. · Psychological Review · 1979 · 1,171 citations
• The Self-Concept · Annual Review of Sociology · 1982 · 835 citations
• What Do Bosses Do? · Review of Radical Political Economics · 1974 · 717 citations
• Labour process theory and the gig economy · Human Relations · 2018 · 706 citations
• “Banana Time”: Job Satisfaction and Informal Interaction · Human Organization · 1959 · 612 citations
• The Digital Workforce and the Workplace of the Future · Academy of Management Journal · 2016 · 580 citations

Most recent work

• Meaning Feudalism at the Guidance Layer: Sovereign Enclosure of the Composition Layer in Google's June 2026 SEO/AEO/GEO Canonicalization (v1.2) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
• Integrating human support with algorithmic control: Psychological reactance in platform work · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · 2026
• The uneven power of the platform: Variations in E-commerce entrepreneurial behaviours in urban, suburban, and rural contexts · Cities · 2026
• The algorithmic personalization paradox: gig workers' lived experiences of supportive coaches and micromanaging bosses · Journal of Managerial Psychology · 2026
• Journalism and social media in creator economies: Evolving structures and labor · New Media & Society · 2026
• Who Benefits From Right‐to‐Disconnect Legislation in Europe? Cross‐National and Gendered Effects on Employee Wellbeing · British Journal of Industrial Relations · 2026
• Algorithmic management and worker agency: The platform perspective on algoactivism · Human Relations · 2026
• Building Worker Voice and Power in AI Decisions: Three Cases in the German ICT Industry · Work and Occupations · 2026
• Human agency in AI-driven work transformation: exploring hospitality employees’ adaptation strategies · Service Industries Journal · 2026
• Resilience through resistance: the role of worker agency in navigating algorithmic control · Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence · 2026

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