This is a research paper presentation from the CSCW23 conference, Minneapolis.

1. The Work to
Make Piecework Work:
An Ethnographic Study of
Food Delivery Work in India
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Riyaj Shaikh
Airi Lampinen
Barry Brown
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€12 2km h1
€10 2km h2
€10
€15
3*
2*
4* 2*
2*
3*
€10
2km {9 mins} {?? mins} 11km {30 mins} € 23
Department of Computer and System Sciences

2. How do gig workers' economic considerations
shape their work practice and
the way they react to the technology embedded in the platform?

3. 1. UNORGANISED SECTOR
2. HIGHER INCOME DEPENDENCY
3. LEGAL VACCUM

4. Fieldwork in Pune, India
6 Telephonic conversations
11 (+ 2 pilot) Ride-along sessions
Field visits to 4 different waiting spots
45 Records of monthly Income from 26 workers
Informal interactions & conversations beyond fieldwork
May 2020 April 2021

5. 1.Workflow technology + 2.Piecework

6. Order Workflow
“ any technology designed to (in some way) give order to or record the unfolding of work activity
over time by, for example, providing tools and information to users at appropriate moments or
enabling them to overview the work process they are part of or to design work processes for
themselves or others or whatever.”
_
1. Workflow technology
(Bowers et al. 1995)
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the
delivery
location
6) Hand over
the order &
ending trip
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
1) Remain available
for order allocation

7. Work Outside Workflow
Order Workflow
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the
delivery
location
6) Hand over
the order &
ending trip
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
•Try enhancing order
allocation chance.
•Move between waiting
spots in anticipation
of an order.
•Encounter
outdated address,
pandemic
restrictions
•Negotiate with
restaurant’s
staff & order
management
•Face pandemic
restriction at entry
gate
•Coordinate with
the customer
•Return to a waiting spot
•Try enhancing order
allocation chance.
•Move between waiting
spots in anticipation
of an order.
•Encounter
wrong address,
pandemic
restrictions
Work outside
the workflow
1) Remain available
for order allocation
1. Workflow technology

8. Order Workflow
3) Reach the
Pickup
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the 6) Hand over
the order &
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
•Try enhancing order
allocation chance.
•Move between waiting
spots in anticipation
of an order.
•Encounter •Negotiate with •Face pandemic
•Coordinate with
•Return to a waiting spot
•Try enhancing order
•Move between waiting
•Encounter
Work outside
the workflow
1) Remain available
for order allocation
“ You will receive an order
only if you are near these
hotels…”
Work Outside Workflow
1. Workflow technology
“ The platform is not
allocating me orders as my
rate card is higher…”
“ If I stay at one place I
don’t get orders…”

9. Order Workflow
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the 6) Hand over
the order &
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
•Try enhancing order
•Move between waiting
•Encounter
outdated address
& pandemic
restrictions
•Negotiate with •Face pandemic
•Coordinate with
•Return to a waiting spot
•Try enhancing order
•Move between waiting
•Encounter
Work outside
the workflow
1) Remain available
for order allocation
"After reaching the
mentioned address, I had to
call customer care
informing them that I have
reached to this XYZ hotel
and it is shut. They used to
call the hotel to let them
know that I have reached
the mentioned pickup
location. Then the hotel
used to share the new
address."
?..?
Work Outside Workflow
1. Workflow technology

10. “ a contemporary instantiation of piecework, a work and payment structure which breaks
tasks down into discrete jobs, wherein payment is made for output, rather than for time”
2. Piecework
_ (Alkhathib et al. 2017)
Actual Delivery-leg
Picking up the food
Paid labor Unpaid labor
Unpaid labor
Order Workflow
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the
delivery
location
6) Hand over
the order &
ending trip
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
1) Remain available
for order allocation

11. Order Workflow
•Staying close to
possible pickup
locations or changing
waiting spots in the
hope of the next order
•Aim to reduce
the driving time
and driving cost
•Negotiate with
Restaurant staff as
No control over
food preparation
time or restaurant
order management
affecting earning
negatively
•Time spent in
finding a customer’s
location or waiting
for a customer at the
gate affects earning
negatively
•Reduce the cost
to return to a waiting spot
•Aim to reduce
the driving time
and driving cost
Ensure & maximising
piecework earning
2. Piecework
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the
delivery
location
6) Hand over
the order &
ending trip
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
1) Remain available
for order allocation
Paid labor Unpaid labor
Unpaid labor
Actual Delivery-leg
Picking up the food

12. Discussion
1. Hope Labor
2. Double work & Opacities

13. Order
Workflow 1) Available for
order allocation
3) Reach the
Pickup
location
4) Wait for food
preparation and
Pick the order
5) Reach the
delivery
location
6) Hand over
the order &
ending trip
7) Available for
order allocation
2) Accept the
allocated order
Actual Delivery-leg
Picking up the food
Paid labor Unpaid labor
Unpaid labor
“ un- or under-compensated work carried out in the present, often for experience or exposure,
in the hope that future employment opportunities may follow.” -
Hope Labor
(Kuhen et al. 2013)
The concurrent efforts & organisation of work beyond the workflow to make it work.
Deal with contingent situations and requirements invisible to the workflow
Use login time efficiently to complete as many orders as possible and earn ‘Target’ incentive
Complete the allocated order quickly and be available for the next order.
Hope Labor Hope Labor

14. Income Goals
Opacities
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00 1111111 100 0 10001 00 1010000 10010101
0010 10 100 10 10 10010000100101110100100
100001010011 00110110100 1 0101011 01000010
€12 2km h1
€10 2km h2
€10
€15
3*
2*
4* 2*
2*
3*
€10
Double Work
&
Double Work Hope Labour

15. Riyaj Shaikh
riyaz@dsv.su.se
Conclusion
Department of Computer and System Sciences
- Approaching gig platforms as workflow systems.
- Economic considerations entangled with interactions with the
technology.
- The unpaid labour of hope is space of optimisation.