Sustainability in the Gig Economy


Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive and contemporary source of reference for the gig economy for sustainable businesses with a focus on Industry 4.0. It covers the theoretical and practical implications of the rise of an alternative system in the era of technology-driven business entities; and explains the emergence of the gig economy as a crucial factor in devising approaches that will help in ensuring better decision making. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, investors and corporations are attempting to overcome the turbulence in financial markets over the past few months. Governments and economists are scrambling to mitigate the impacts of lockdowns. Many businesses have transferred to a remote working system, and the critical challenge remains to make this form of work and business productive, efficient, and sustainable. Against this backdrop, the book provides an overview of the gig economy from varied perspective such as general business and economics; ethics, governance, and legal issues; diffusion of IT in the workplace; sustainability; future of workforce and workplaces during and post-pandemic scenarios. This edited volume also highlights several challenges and opportunities for managing the diverse workforce in the prevailing situation which has no precedence. With its discussions on the impact of the gig economy on the business world, the book carries appeal for scholars in the business, human resource professionals, industry practitioners, corporates, and policy advocates interested in learning about evolution, automation, marketing, and sustainability in the gig economy.




The Gig Economy


Book Description

Today, most Americans are working in the gig economy--mixing together short-term jobs, contract work, and freelance assignments. Learn how to embrace the independent and self-sufficient world of freelance! The Gig Economy is your guide to this uncertain but ultimately rewarding world. Packed with research, exercises, and anecdotes, this eye-opening book supplies strategies--ranging from the professional to the personal--to help you leverage your skills, knowledge, and network to create your own career trajectory. In this book, you will learn how to: Construct a life based on your priorities and vision of success Cultivate connections without networking Create your own security Build flexibility into your financial life Face your fears by reducing risk Corporate jobs are not only unstable--they’re increasingly scarce. It’s time to take charge of your own career and lead the life you want, one immune to the impulsive whims of an employer looking only at today’s bottom line. Start mapping out your place in the gig economy today!




The Gig Economy


Book Description

All of a sudden, everybody’s talking about the gig economy. From taxi drivers to pizza deliverers to the unemployed, we are all aware of the huge changes that it is driving in our lives as workers, consumers and citizens. This is the first comprehensive overview of this highly topical subject. Drawing upon years of research, stories from gig workers, and a review of the key trends and debates, Jamie Woodcock and Mark Graham shed light on how the gig economy came to be, how it works and what it’s like to work in it. They show that, although it has facilitated innovative new services and created jobs for millions, it is not without cost. It allows businesses and governments to generate value while passing significant risk and responsibility onto the workers that make it possible. This is not, however, an argument for turning back the clock. Instead, the authors outline four strategies that can produce a fairer platform economy that works for everyone. Woodcock and Graham’s critical introduction will be essential reading for students, scholars and general readers interested in the massive shifts that characterize our modern digital economy.




Work in the Gig Economy


Book Description

Throughout the last decade, the ‘gig economy’ has emerged as one of the most significant developments in the world of work. As a novel, hyper-flexible form of labour, gig work features a uniquely fragmented working arrangement wherein independent workers partner with digital platform organisations to provide a range of on-demand services to customers. Work in the Gig Economy: A Research Overview provides a concise overview to the key themes and debate that encompass the gig economy literature. It covers five core themes: an introduction to gig work; classification issues; the role of technology; the experiences of gig workers; and the future of gig work. As an emerging and diverse research field, contributions stem from an array of perspectives including psychology, sociology, human resource management, legal studies, and technology management. The chapters synthesise the most prominent insights into this emerging field, key thinking on the complex relationships and conditions found in gig work, and the most significant issues to be addressed as the gig economy continues to develop. A critical introduction for students, scholars and reflective professionals and policymakers, this book provides much needed direction through the rapidly growing and expansive body of research on work in the gig economy.




Promoting Sustainable Innovation and the Circular Economy


Book Description

The book explores the role of public market actors in sustainable and circular economy innovation and financing. The shift to a circular economy requires active innovation, alongside radical changes in law, finance and policy considerations, since regulation is often tightly connected with the assumption of a linear model of consumption. Finance is crucial in creating sustainable and circular economy markets and innovations: public finance is important from the perspective of seeing the state as an engine for promoting sustainable innovations, but private funds are also required. Legislative initiatives for promoting repairs have been proposed or adopted in the EU, US and in Australia, representing remarkable steps forward but still leaving many obstacles without legislative intervention. This book examines circular economy regulation and policy on a comprehensive, general level, as well as assessing the regulatory possibilities of promoting the right to repair. Promotion of circular economy innovations as well as changing the practices and changing consumer patterns towards a more comprehensive adoption of CE are discussed from perspectives of legal, social and moral norms. The book critically evaluates current legislative reforms and assesses existing barriers to the circular economy and innovation in intellectual property law, consumer law and competition law. Providing an in-depth analysis of this dynamic field, geared towards reconsidering both existing and prospective policies and regulatory regime, the book makes recommendations for solutions to legislative barriers. It is an indispensable resource for both researchers and practitioners working at the intersections of markets, innovations and sustainability.




The Great Pivot


Book Description

The Great Pivot describes 30 sustainability projects in five areas - advanced energy communities, low-carbon mobility, the circular economy, food waste reduction, and nature restoration - that will create millions of meaningful jobs.




Strengthening Sustainable Digitalization of Asian Economy and Society


Book Description

In the ongoing evolution of Asia's economy and society, there is a crucial need to explore innovative conceptual frameworks, empirical studies, and case analyses. These endeavors aim to unravel the intricate relationship between digital transformation and the imperative for fostering a greener, more circular, and climate-neutral Asian economy. Strengthening Sustainable Digitalization of Asian Economy and Society explores the intersection between digital technologies, knowledge management, and sustainable development. The book addresses the challenges and opportunities the digital age poses, examining how advanced information technologies, including artificial intelligence, IoT, and machine learning, coupled with practical knowledge management, can catalyze a transformative journey. Strengthening Sustainable Digitalization of Asian Economy and Society unravels how these digital tools and solutions impact the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, offering invaluable insights for academics, researchers, industry players, policymakers, and stakeholders. This book emphasizes the ASEAN region, providing an understanding of the regional nuances in the digital transition by presenting comparative regional studies, including Asia, Europe, the USA, Latin America, Africa, and the Gulf Region.




Maintaining a Sustainable World in the Nexus of Environmental Science and AI


Book Description

The growing need for sustainable solutions prompts concerns on sustainable business practices, using new intelligent technologies. Artificial intelligence offers effective solutions for sustainability in environmental science while tackling challenges like climate change, resource depletion biodiversity erosion, and threats to planet health. It is essential to understand how artificial intelligence technologies can be leveraged for environmental science comprehension. Maintaining a Sustainable World in the Nexus of Environmental Science and AI offers a thorough comprehension of the nexus of environmental science and artificial intelligence, and its impact on sustainability. By offering solutions for sustainable development, this book displays state-of-the-art solutions, provide practical goals, and explore ethical issues of AI implementation. This book covers topics such as marine environments, climate change prediction and mitigation, urban planning, and renewable energy, and is a valuable resource for business owners, industry professionals, environmental scientists, computer engineers, academicians, and researchers.




Sustainability


Book Description

Sustainability is one of the buzzwords of our times and a key imperative for economic growth, technological development, social equity, and environmental quality. But what does it really mean and how is it being implemented around the world? In this clear-eyed book, Maurie Cohen introduces students to the concept of sustainability, tracing its history and application from local land-use practices, construction techniques and reorientation of business models to national and global institutions seeking to foster sustainable practices. Examining sustainable development in scientific, technological, social and political terms, he shows that it remains an elusive concept and evidence of its unambiguous achievements can be difficult to ascertain. Moreover, developed and developing countries have formulated divergent agendas to engage the notion of sustainability, further complicating its application and progress across the world. Innovative and readily accessible to students from a range of disciplines, this primer takes us on a journey to show that sustainability is as much about unchartered waters as it is about formulating answers to urgent global issues.




The Gig Economy


Book Description

This edited collection examines the gig economy in the age of convergence from a critical political economic perspective. Contributions explore how media, technology, and labor are converging to create new modes of production, as well as new modes of resistance. From rideshare drivers in Los Angeles to domestic workers in Delhi, from sex work to podcasting, this book draws together research that examines the gig economy's exploitation of workers and their resistance. Employing critical theoretical perspectives and methodologies in a variety of national contexts, contributors consider the roles that media, policy, culture, and history, as well as gender, race, and ethnicity play in forging working conditions in the 'gig economy'. Contributors examine the complex and historical relationships between media and gig work integral to capitalism with the aim of exposing and, ultimately, ending exploitation. This book will appeal to students and scholars examining questions of technology, media, and labor across media and communication studies, information studies, and labor studies as well as activists, journalists, and policymakers.