The Navigating the Gig Economy: Talent identification in tripartite work arrangements in Morocco
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The gig economy is transforming the traditional employment landscape in Morocco, introducing both challenges and opportunities for talent identification. As online labor platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Uber become increasingly prevalent, they facilitate the connection between freelance workers and SMEs seeking flexible labor solutions. This paper delves into the intricacies of tripartite work arrangements that encompass these platforms, the requesters (SMEs), and the gig workers themselves. By examining these relationships, we uncover the unique aspects of talent identification within the Moroccan gig economy. Our study employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys to gather comprehensive data from various stakeholders.
We identify that while online platforms employ standardized algorithms for talent identification, these methods often overlook local cultural and linguistic nuances critical to the Moroccan context. SMEs in Morocco tend to heavily rely on platform-mediated ratings and reviews, which underscores the trust placed in these digital reputation systems. Furthermore, our findings reveal that gig workers who invest in skill development and actively manage their online reputations are more likely to secure consistent and lucrative opportunities.
This research provides a conceptual framework for understanding the complexities of talent identification in Morocco's gig economy, offering valuable insights for enhancing talent management practices. We propose several recommendations for platforms to refine their algorithms, for SMEs to develop more robust evaluation criteria, and for gig workers to focus on continuous skill enhancement. This paper not only contributes to the academic discourse on gig work but also provides practical guidelines for stakeholders to navigate and optimize talent identification processes in Morocco's evolving labor market.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Autor, D. H. (2015). Why are there still so many jobs? The history and future of workplace automation. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(3), 3-30.
Benner, C. (2017). Work in the new economy: Flexible labor markets in Silicon Valley. Blackwell Publishers.
Cappelli, P., & Keller, J. R. (2013). Classifying work in the new economy. Academy of Management Review, 38(4), 575-596.
Codagnone, C., & Martens, B. (2016). Scoping the sharing economy: Origins, definitions, impact and regulatory issues. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies.
Collings, D. G., & Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 19(4), 304-313.
De Stefano, V. (2016). The rise of the “just-in-time workforce”: On-demand work, crowdwork, and labor protection in the gig economy. Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal, 37, 471.
Duggan, J., Sherman, U., Carbery, R., & McDonnell, A. (2020). Algorithmic management and app-work in the gig economy: A research agenda for employment relations and HRM. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(1), 114-132.
Eurofound. (2015). New forms of employment. Publications Office of the European Union.
Farrell, D., & Greig, F. (2016). The online platform economy: Has growth peaked? JPMorgan Chase Institute.
Gandini, A. (2016). Digital work: Self-branding and social capital in the freelance knowledge economy. Marketing Theory, 16(1), 123-141.
Graham, M., Hjorth, I., & Lehdonvirta, V. (2017). Digital labour and development: Impacts of global digital labour platforms and the gig economy on worker livelihoods. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 23(2), 135-162.
Hall, J. V., & Krueger, A. B. (2018). An analysis of the labor market for Uber’s driver-partners in the United States. ILR Review, 71(3), 705-732.
Huws, U., Spencer, N. H., Syrdal, D. S., & Holts, K. (2017). Work in the European gig economy. Foundation for European Progressive Studies.
ILO. (2018). Digital labour platforms and the future of work: Towards decent work in the online world. International Labour Office.
Kabbaj, S. (2019). The gig economy in Morocco: Challenges and opportunities. Moroccan Journal of Economics and Business.
Kalleberg, A. L. (2009). Precarious work, insecure workers: Employment relations in transition. American Sociological Review, 74(1), 1-22.
Kuhn, K. M., & Maleki, A. (2017). Micro-entrepreneurs, dependent contractors, and freelancers: What’s the difference? Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 70(4), 93-112.
Lee, M. K., Kusbit, D., Metsky, E., & Dabbish, L. (2015). Working with machines: The impact of algorithmic and data-driven management on human workers. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1603-1612.
Lehdonvirta, V. (2018). Flexibility in the gig economy: Managing time on three online piecework platforms. New Technology, Work and Employment, 33(1), 13-29.
McKinsey Global Institute. (2016). Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy. McKinsey & Company.
Meijerink, J., & Keegan, A. (2019). Conceptualizing human resource management in the gig economy. Journal of Business Research, 104, 302-310.
Pallais, A. (2014). Inefficient hiring in entry-level labor markets. American Economic Review, 104(11), 3565-3599.
Pesole, A., Urzí Brancati, M. C., Fernández-Macías, E., Biagi, F., & González Vázquez, I. (2018). Platform workers in Europe. JRC Science for Policy Report.
Rosenblat, A. (2018). Uberland: How algorithms are rewriting the rules of work. University of California Press.
Schmidt, F. A. (2017). Digital labour markets in the platform economy: Mapping the political challenges of crowd work and gig work. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
Tadelis, S. (2016). Reputation and feedback systems in online platform markets. Annual Review of Economics, 8, 321-340.
Todolí-Signes, A. (2017). The end of the subordinate worker? Collaborative economy, on-demand economy, gig economy, and the crowdworkers’ need for protection. International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, 33(2), 241-268.
van Doorn, N. (2017). Platform labor: On the gendered and racialized exploitation of low-income service work in the ‘on-demand’ economy. Information, Communication & Society, 20(6), 898-914.
Vallas, S. P. (2016). Worker control in the age of Uber: Command in the gig economy. Cornell University ILR School.
Wood, A. J., Graham, M., Lehdonvirta, V., & Hjorth, I. (2019). Good gig, bad gig: Autonomy and algorithmic control in the global gig economy. Work, Employment and Society, 33(1), 56-75.