Paper Number
ICIS2025-2282
Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Algorithms increasingly act as managers, both on digital platforms and in traditional organizations. However, their lack of transparency undermines legitimacy and exacerbates technostress among workers. In response, workers engage in Algoactivism—individual and collective efforts to manipulate, subvert, or mobilize against algorithmic control. A prominent example of Algoactivism is Uber drivers repeatedly striking across multiple countries. Despite its significance, research has yet to fully understand how platform workers, often disconnected from one another, coordinate collective forms of Algoactivism. This study employs a computationally intensive approach to theory development. We analyze over 380,000 posts from the Uberpeople.net forum spanning ten years. We find that the organizing of protests has evolved from connective action logic to collective action logic. As a result, protests become more offensive, global, and are able to attract increasing media coverage. Our research contributes to Algoactivism, social movements, and the relationship between connective and collective action.
Recommended Citation
Wurm, Bastian; Matthiesen, Jan; Vogelsang, Lukas; and Hoegl, Martin, "From Connective to Collective Action: How Uber Drivers Organize Real-World Protests" (2025). ICIS 2025 Proceedings. 20.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2025/is_transformwork/is_transformwork/20
From Connective to Collective Action: How Uber Drivers Organize Real-World Protests
Algorithms increasingly act as managers, both on digital platforms and in traditional organizations. However, their lack of transparency undermines legitimacy and exacerbates technostress among workers. In response, workers engage in Algoactivism—individual and collective efforts to manipulate, subvert, or mobilize against algorithmic control. A prominent example of Algoactivism is Uber drivers repeatedly striking across multiple countries. Despite its significance, research has yet to fully understand how platform workers, often disconnected from one another, coordinate collective forms of Algoactivism. This study employs a computationally intensive approach to theory development. We analyze over 380,000 posts from the Uberpeople.net forum spanning ten years. We find that the organizing of protests has evolved from connective action logic to collective action logic. As a result, protests become more offensive, global, and are able to attract increasing media coverage. Our research contributes to Algoactivism, social movements, and the relationship between connective and collective action.
When commenting on articles, please be friendly, welcoming, respectful and abide by the AIS eLibrary Discussion Thread Code of Conduct posted here.
Comments
03-Transformation