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Hierarchies without firms? Vertical disintegration, outsourcing and the nature of the platform

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dc.contributor.authorAloisi, Antonio
dc.contributor.rorhttps://ror.org/02jjdwm75
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-26T16:43:05Z
dc.date.available2024-11-26T16:43:05Z
dc.date.issued2018-02
dc.description.abstractNew forms of labour intermediation through digital platforms such as Uber, Deliveroo or Amazon Mechanical Turk can be conceptualised as the latest stage of a long-lasting process of disaggregation of the firm and “disorganisation of labour law.” In particular, the rise of platform-mediated work can be seen as an instantiation of deliberate business strategies aimed at outsourcing labour while retaining intense and pervasive managerial prerogative. The phenomenon is exacerbating several unresolved tensions inherent in the contemporary world of work, let alone the perverse impact that “platformisation” is having on precariousness and social inequalities. In short, new technologies allow platforms to abandon traditional methods of workplace governance and adopt a stronger version of the “command and control” logic. Direct interaction is replaced by a significant reliance on information communications technology: workers are monitored more closely and intimately than they ever used to be by means of tech tools, including algorithms, artificial intelligence and customers’ reviews. This leads to the question whether the existing concept of “firm” is appropriate to face this transformational new reality, whether minor or major adaptations may be necessary or whether we need a total re-invention of the underlying assumptions of the employment relationship. After describing the theoretical antecedents of hierarchical outsourcing, the article explores the literature on the nature of “non-standard forms of firm” by applying transaction-cost economics. In an attempt to update the incomplete trichotomy among “hierarchies,” “markets” and “networks,” I present a complementary model combining pre-existing schemes. By building on theories unfolding the disarticulation of the formal employing entity and the pulverisation of work-related responsibilities, this paper demystifies the prototypical business model of rampant socio-economic actors.
dc.description.peerreviewedyes
dc.description.statusPublished
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dc.identifier.citationAloisi, A. (2020). Hierarchies without firms? Vertical disintegration, outsourcing and the nature of the platform. E-book “Quaderni 8th Giorgio Rota Best Paper Award”http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3124389transaction cost economics
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3124389
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14417/3363
dc.journal.titleE-book “Quaderni 8th Giorgio Rota Best Paper Award”
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSSRN
dc.relation.departmentDigital & Tech Law
dc.relation.entityIE University
dc.relation.schoolIE Law School
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
dc.rights.accessRightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subject.keywordTransaction cost economics
dc.subject.keywordCerberus firm
dc.subject.keywordBusiness model
dc.subject.keywordUber
dc.subject.keywordPlatform economy
dc.subject.keywordGig work
dc.subject.keywordSharing economy
dc.subject.keywordMisclassification
dc.titleHierarchies without firms? Vertical disintegration, outsourcing and the nature of the platform
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.version.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication5aecf3e8-490a-434c-985a-16c1835be77c
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery5aecf3e8-490a-434c-985a-16c1835be77c
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