Worker Well-being, Human Factors and the Gig Economy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

There has been an exponential rise in global gig economy work. Given the growth of the gig economy and gig workers around the world, developing an understanding of the human factors behind this area of the workforce can lead many to disparate sources. This contemporary text integrates interdisciplinary learning and insights into relationships between human factors, worker well-being and the future of safer, more inclusive, and sustainable work, specifically in the gig economy. It offers an in-depth understanding of the role of human factors and the effects of disruptive technologies on worker well-being in a range of settings.This fascinating title draws on the voices of independent contractors, zero-hours workers, on-call professionals, on-line platformers and other temporary and casual workers. The book is informed by research from a range of fields, including management, healthcare, platform work, and tech in a variety of organisational settings. It highlights the important linkages between human factors, worker well-being and the future of work in the gig economy. It argues that there is a clear need to focus on sustainable worker well-being, opportunities for creating synergies between human factors and algorithmic control of work in the gig economy.The reader will develop a full idea of how to improve workers’ lived experience and psychological and physical safety in the workplace. Worker Well-being, Human Factors and the Gig Economy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives is the ‘go to’ text for human factors specialists, business and management professionals, managers, trade union members, human resource management employees and scholars who are seeking to understand the role of human factors in the future of work and gig economy.

About the Author

Dr Emily Yarrow is a Senior Lecturer in Management and Organisations at Newcastle University Business School, UK. She holds positions as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and Academic Member of the CIPD (MCIPD). She serves as an elected member of Newcastle University Senate and Vice Chair for EDIR of the British Academy of Management. Emily's research focuses on gendered organisational behaviour, women's workplace experiences, and the future of work. Her interests include organisational theory, gender inequality regimes, algorithmic bias, and higher education governance. She earned her PhD at the Centre for Equality and Diversity at Queen Mary, University of London. Emily serves on Editorial Review Boards for multiple prestigious journals and she brings academic and commercial experience, having worked for Procter & Gamble as a Buyer. She has contributed to research and consultancy projects for organisations including the Scottish Government and Diageo. She is passionate about social justice in education and equality of opportunity, with particular interest in women’s career development, vertical gender segregation, and gendered power dynamics in organisations.

Professor Julie Davies is Professor of Healthcare Management and Leadership Development at Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London, UK, and Head of Business School Accreditations, Rankings and Reputation. Julie earned her PhD in strategic management at Warwick University, UK. She is a qualitative researcher, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). Her research focuses on health, well-being, and decent work. Current research collaborations include projects with AIIMS (New Delhi) on medical leadership, with King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre on palliative care nursing, and work on early pregnancy endings in the workplace. Julie led a five-country EU project on HRM in regional SMEs and consulted on workforce redesign in rural healthcare. Julie teaches organisational behaviour and AI strategy while supervising doctoral students in healthcare management, gender studies, and strategic leadership. She has taught on the Open University MBA for 30 years and co-authored books on business school leadership and management doctorates.