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Resistance to economic exploitation or religious oppression? A sociomaterial analysis of the agency of Muslim food-delivery workers facing algorithmic management

Author

Listed:
  • Hugo Gaillard

    (ARGUMans - Laboratoire de recherche en gestion Le Mans Université - UM - Le Mans Université)

  • Sophia Galiere

    (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur, UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur)

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines food-delivery platforms in France in order to reveal how gig workers, lacking traditional employment protections and collective bargaining, rely on informal community mechanisms to develop collective agency that is closely linked to the materiality of platforms. Drawing upon sociomaterial theory and the concept of affordance, our results show that religious affiliation plays a crucial role in the actualization of algorithmic management artifacts by Muslim migrant workers and leads to a sense of emancipation and reconciliation between their religious and work identities. Religious communities, often overlooked or avoided by traditional organizations, act as mediators in the gig economy. Because it uses ‘post-diversity' organizational practices that are indifferent to marginal socio-demographic categories, the gig economy provides workers with material, emotional and informational resources that facilitate identity agency and prioritize it over algorithmic management. The present study contributes to the literature on platform work by illuminating the intricate duality of agency experienced by Muslim migrant workers in the food-delivery sector and developed through community-built resources. It highlights the prioritization of freedom from religious oppression in the labor market over economic considerations, which leads to the acceptance of exploitative working conditions and peer control.

Suggested Citation

  • Hugo Gaillard & Sophia Galiere, 2024. "Resistance to economic exploitation or religious oppression? A sociomaterial analysis of the agency of Muslim food-delivery workers facing algorithmic management," Post-Print hal-04769373, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04769373
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04769373v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claire Adida & David Laitin & Marie-Anne Valfort, 2014. "Muslims in France: identifying a discriminatory equilibrium," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(4), pages 1039-1086, October.
    2. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1992. "The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 398-427, August.
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