Understanding the research landscape of digital labor platforms in developing countries and its policy implications

Abstract

There are growing expectations toward digital labor platforms to provide new job opportunities to the workers in developing countries and contribute to national development. Through a systematic literature review of 42 publications on digital labor platforms in developing countries, this study aims to understand the research landscape and scholars’ assessment on digital labor platforms, suggest future research agendas, and derive policy implications. The results reveal that research in this field is centered on explorative and descriptive analysis of a single case study that investigates the risks and challenges of digital labor platforms to workers in developing countries, highlighting the socio-political context. The duality of digital labor platforms found in the selected publications suggests that international to private actors’ efforts to build a decent work environment in developing countries are imperative. In addition, this study adds a case study of the Korean mobility platform institutionalization process that executed similar efforts. The case study highlights the government’s critical role and close analysis of stakeholders surrounding new IT technologies to realize the social value of digital labor platforms.