A contemporary multiple case study from the Norwegian IT sector
av Andreas Friestad og Håvard Opheim
file:no.ntnu_inspera_57320302_21911929.pdf
Abstract:
Trust is regarded as an important factor both on digital commercial platforms as well as in work- ing organisations. Digital labour platforms present a combination of elements from commercial platforms and working organisations and make up a large part of the platform economy. In this study, we conduct a qualitative and exploratory case study of two labour platforms active in the Norwegian IT and consultancy sector, in order to better understand how trust building between the workers active on the platform and the platform itself occurs. Through semi-structured in- terviews with workers and platform owners, as well as a supplementary document analysis, we find that easy adoption, transparency, the supporting network of peers and the availability and ability of platform owners are the main drivers of trust building on the platforms. This article contributes to trust literature on commercial digital platforms by focusing on labour platforms in highly-skilled industries from the perspective of workers, as well as combining this with earlier research on trust in both organisations and on digital platforms.