To read this content please select one of the options below:

Labor market transformation in the hospitality gig economy in a post pandemic era: impacts of institutional governance

Pearl M.C. Lin (School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China)
Kang-Lin Peng (Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Macau, China)
Wai Ching Wilson Au (School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China)
Tom Baum (Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, UK and School of Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa)

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

ISSN: 0959-6119

Article publication date: 3 November 2022

Issue publication date: 31 March 2023

1586

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the food delivery sector to boom as people continue to rely on services provided by online catering platforms (OCPs). However, because of the nature of sharing economy employment, gig workers’ contributions went largely ignored until intervention from institutional governance. This study aims to explore the impacts of labor market transformation after the Chinese Government issued guidance to promote gig workers’ welfare as a focal case.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus groups and the Delphi technique were used to explore associated impacts on OCPs and gig workers based on governance theory.

Findings

Results show that institutional governance negatively affected OCPs’ operating cost structure but sustained gig workers’ welfare. The dual effects of market mechanism and institutional governance in the sharing economy are needed to be balanced for labor market transformation.

Research limitations/implications

Long-term equilibrium can be fulfilled, given the growing food-related demand for the market mechanism. Social reciprocity is expected to be realized through institutional governance for gig workers’ welfare.

Originality/value

This study suggests that moving from market governance to stakeholder governance, as mediated by state governance, could transform gig workers’ labor structure in the gig economy. This study presents an integrated governance theory to enhance the epistemology of institutional governance.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Citation

Lin, P.M.C., Peng, K.-L., Wilson Au, W.C. and Baum, T. (2023), "Labor market transformation in the hospitality gig economy in a post pandemic era: impacts of institutional governance", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 1490-1510. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2021-1531

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles