Are our existing theories and research approaches well equipped to grasp
new societal phenomena? Platform work, or platform organizing in
general, is a relatively new phenomenon which, despite overwhelming
literature, is still undertheorized due to its complexity, rapid
development, and ambiguous vocabulary. Platform work has raised mixed
opinions as offering great business potential for companies (Parker et
al., 2016) and improving workers’ chances for flexible income (Anderson
and Westberg, 2016), but also increasing uncertainty, risks, and even
gendered or racialized exploitation of workers (de Stefano, 2016; van
Doorn, 2017; Kenney et al., Chapter 1 in this book; Kovalainen et al.,
Chapter 2 in this book).