Support Structures and Their Impacts on Work Outcomes of Online Workers in Developing Countries

Online labor platforms (OLPs) are transforming how firms operate and how people work. While much attention has been paid to understand how OLPs use algorithms to match workers with consumers and how OLPs are different from traditional firms, little is known about how this new form of firm impacts marginalized populations. Likewise, little is known about what factors lead to online workers’ work success. This short paper aims to explore the support structures for online laborers in developing countries. Drawing on the literature, we distill two types of support structure, namely, formal support from the platform firm, and informal support from peers. The current study seeks to develop in-depth understanding of support structures for online workers in developing countries and how support structures impact their work outcomes.