Crowdwork and crowdworkers before, during and after vocational training —competence/subjectification effects, individual vocationality and platform design conducive to learning (CKoBeLeP, dtec.bw, 2021-2024)
Crowdwork is a relatively new phenomenon that is undeniably gaining in importance. So far little is known about subjectification effects, the impact on individual professionalism and learning opportunities in crowdwork. The overarching goal of this research project is therefore to develop, test and transfer competence- and learning-promoting concepts as well as technical tools for crowdwork in the sense of employment- and personality-oriented professionalism. On this website you will find information about the current project, which will be updated regularly.
Project background
Crowdwork or platform-based work is a relatively new phenomenon that has only been around for about 15 years. Internationally, this form of work is undeniably gaining in importance — in Germany, too, entrepreneurial use, the number of platform operators, and thus platform-based employment have been increasing significantly for several years. The Corona pandemic reinforces this trend of a quantitative increase in digitized employment.
In the public discussion, the term crowdwork still has little presence. Even where crowdwork is discussed, a clear definition is lacking. What crowdwork is essentially about is the assignment of work tasks to an undefined crowd, from which individuals select the tasks to work on — in German, the term “Schwarm” is most appropriate. The assignment of tasks is mostly handled via internet-based apps or websites. If the work is not location-based, crowdwork can principally be performed from anywhere in the world if access to the internet is available. As the client defines work packages that are to be completed by a certain time, crowdwork can usually also be arranged flexibly in terms of time. There is usually no employment contract between the client and the crowdworker, or only a kind of basic contract. The processing of each individual work package takes place on a voluntary basis and represents an individual assignment in itself. Often crowdworkers carry out their work without any direct contact to other people or they work together in virtual teams on a temporary basis. There are no fixed operating structures or permanent colleagues. Overall, the work situation of crowdworkers differs significantly from the so-called normal employment relationship and the working world as most employees know it today.
Crowdworking and crowdsourcing platforms have given rise to companies that offer the intermediation of work tasks to a crowd as a service. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but also large companies, use these specialized service companies as support or have the crowdsourcing completely implemented by them. Crowdsourcing refers to the perspective of a company that outsources internal tasks to an external crowd. This crowdsourcing is not without preconditions, as it requires a special type of project management as well as the establishment and maintenance of a corresponding crowd.
The crowdworking or crowdsourcing platforms have a decisive influence on the working conditions of the crowdworkers through the design of the platform, through their community management, etc. The best-known platforms are probably those that offer so-called microtasks. Microtasks can be completed in a very short time, and the payment per task is often only a few cents; for example, images are assigned to different categories to generate training data for artificial intelligence. The simplicity of the tasks and the low pay in the field of microtasks explains why crowdwork is accused of neo-taylorism and the precarization of work.
However, there are many more forms of crowdwork besides such mircotasks. These range from copywriting, translation, and the mediation of service workers up to highly paid IT services. If crowdwork is understood as a new form of work — i.e., as a form of social organization of work — then there is in principle no area of the world of work that could not be organized at least in part as crowdwork.
Project objective
The project focuses on crowdwork as a form of work. The aim of the project is to empirically analyze crowdwork platforms and to support a development of platform-based work that is oriented towards criteria of social compatibility and the conduciveness of work to learning. Crowdwork platforms are considered that are active in Germany and that are used by adolescents and young adults before, during or after their education to pursue a side job or a main job.
The project looks at the potential for political, social, pedagogical and technological development and design of crowdwork from the perspectives of vocational and business education, sociology of work, occupation, subjectification and competence. The point of orientation will be standards of good digitalized work that take into account the work-related demands of crowdworkers on the one hand and the quality demands of clients on the other.
The overall project is supported by four cooperating chairs which analyze the following aspects and interrelationships of crowdwork in an interdisciplinary manner using different empirical-methodological approaches:
- Distribution of orders and tasks via platforms,
- Subjectification of work, relationship between lifeworld/private sphere and the employment of crowdworkers,
- Individual professionalism of crowdworkers,
- Analysis of existing learning offers on platforms and potential for further development,
- Analysis of the learning content of different forms of crowdwork,
- Training needs and opportunities of/for crowdworkers,
- Assessment and modeling of competences for crowdwork,
- Task construction, development of technical tools and testing together with practice partners,
- Analysis of labor, employment and reputation system policies with reference to crowdwork,
- Impact of crowdwork on (regional) training markets,
- Dealing with crowdwork in vocational training policy.
The research and development activities will be implemented together with selected crowdworking platforms and other stakeholders as practice partners.
Project overview
Presentations
2021
Eckelt, M. (2021): Crowdwork und Plattformökonomie. Radikale Infragestellung zentraler Konzepte beruflicher Erwerbsarbeit. Vortrag auf Jahrestagung der Sektion für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik der DGfE am 17.09.2021.
2022
Becker, A. (2022): Arbeit als Spiel: Zur subjektiven Relevanz von Gamification-Elementen auf Crowdwork-Plattformen. Vortrag bei der Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie am 27.09.2022 in Bielefeld.
Becker, A. & Ecker, L. (2022): Neue Wege in die Selbstständigkeit: Plattformen als Professionalisierungsmöglichkeit? Vortrag bei 2. Plattformtagung im Haus der Selbstständigen am 14.10.2022 in Leipzig.
Becker, A. & Kleemann, F. (2022): “Pay + X”- crowdworking between gainful employment and meaningful activity. Vortrag bei INDL-5 Conference am 05.11.2022 in Athen.
Büchter, K. (2022): Berufliche und betriebliche Weiterbildung im Wandel von Arbeit, Gesellschaft und Politik – (Dis-)Kontinuitäten und Herausforderungen. Keynote bei AGBFN-Tagung Strukturen beruflicher Weiterbildung zwischen „New Work“, demografischem Wandel und sozioökologischer Transformation am 29.11.2022 in Rostock.
Büchter, K. (2022): Entgrenzung von Arbeit – Begrenzung durch Bildung? (W)Ende einer Beziehung. 15.03.2022. Keynote auf Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE-Kongress) in Bremen.
Eckelt, M. (2022): Informelles arbeitsbezogenes Lernen jenseits klassischer Erwerbsarbeit. Vortrag auf Jahrestagung der Sektion für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik der DGfE am 27.09.2022 in Freiburg.
Ecker, L. (2022): Communication but where and by whom? Peer-to-peer interactions on Crowdwork platforms. Vortrag bei INDL-5 Conference am 05.11.2022 in Athen.
Ecker, L. (2022): Lernen durch Plattformarbeit? Berufliche Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten und Transitionen von Crowdworker:innen. Vortrag bei der Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie am 27.09.2022 in Bielefeld.
Külpmann, I. (2022): Beruf und Beruflichkeit im Wandel – Am Beispiel der Arbeitsorganisationsform Crowdwork. Vortrag auf Jahrestagung der Sektion für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik der DGfE. Young Researcher Programm am 26.09.2022 in Freiburg.
Schwien, K.; Thrun, T.; Schlömer, T. (2022): Lernen und Wissen in der Plattformökonomie zwischen ökonomischer Rationalität und persönlicher Autonomie. Vortrag auf AG BFN-Forum und 5. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für sozioökonomische Bildung und Wissenschaft (GSÖBW) am 23.09.2022 in Berlin.
2023
Becker, A.; Eckelt, M.; Kleemann, F. (2023): Voice Messaging. A New Method for Researching Platform Work. Vortrag bei INDL-6 Conference am 09.10.2023 in Berlin.
Becker, A.; Kleemann, F. (2023): Crowdwork zwischen Arbeit und Freizeit. Entgrenzung und Subjektivierung von Arbeit revisited. Vortrag bei der Arbeitskulturentagung „New Normal of Work” am 02.11.2023 in München.
Becker, A.; Kleemann, F. (2023): Professionalization strategies of young crowdworkers in Germany: Relational constellations and dynamics in platform work. Vortrag auf GDC-Conference: Global perspectives on platforms, labor and social reproduction am 28.06.2023 in Amsterdam.
Eckelt, M. (2023): Lebenssituation, berufliche Aspirationen und Orientierung von Auszubildenden. Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung unter Berücksichtigung der Wohnortgröße. Vortrag auf Jahrestagung der Sektion für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik der DGfE am 07.09.2023 in Flensburg.
Eckelt, M. (2023): On the Planned Apprenticeship Guarantee for Germany. Vortrag bei 5th Crossing Boundaries Conference in Vocational Education and Training am 25.05.2023 in Kaunas (Litauen).
Ecker, L. (2023): Community Austausch als Bewältigungsstrategie in digitalen Callcentern? Vortrag bei der Arbeitskulturentagung „New Normal of Work” am 03.11.2023 in München.
Neu, T.; Schwien, K.; Schlömer, T. (2023): Kompetenzen und berufliches Handeln in der Plattformökonomie – Zugänge über die Modellierung von impliziten Wissensfacetten und Grundvorstellungen. 2023. Vortrag auf Jahrestagung der Sektion für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik der DGfE am 07.09.2023 in Flensburg.
Schwien, K. (2023): Knowing and Learning in Crowdwork Practices: Informal Education for Digital Work? Vortrag bei der JURE am 20.08.2023 in Thessaloniki.
Schwien, K., Schlömer, T. (2023). Uncertainty as a Driver for Workplace Learning in Crowdwork Practices. Vortrag bei der EARLI am 24.08.2023 in Thessaloniki.
Stobbe, P. (2023). Bildung im Medium digitalisierter Arbeit – Ein Beitrag zur Revitalisierung und Neuformulierung der Berufsbildungstheorie. Vortrag auf der Jahrestagung 2023 der Sektion BWP der DGfE am 06.09.2023 in Flensburg.
Thrun, T. (2023): (Digital)Ökonomische Bildung in und durch Crowdwork. Fachliche Grundvorstellungen von Markt, Wertschöpfung und Transformation. Vortrag auf DeGÖB (=Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ökonomische Bildung) Jahrestagung 2023 am 15.02.2023 in Tübingen.
Publications
2021
Eckelt, M. & Thrun, T. (2021). Crowdwork und Plattformökonomie: Kann dort auch Berufsbildung stattfinden? Berufsbildung – Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule, 75 (191), 33–36.
2022
Stobbe, P. (2022): Bildung im Medium der Digitalisierung von Arbeit? – Zur Revitalisierung bildungstheoretischer Reflexionen in der Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik. bwp@ Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik – online, (43), 1-28. Open Access
2023
Becker, A. (2023): Arbeit als Spiel. Zur subjektiven Bedeutung von Gamification-Technologien auf Crowdwork-Plattformen. In: Villa, P. (Hrsg.), Polarisierte Welten. Verhandlungen des 41. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie in Bielefeld 2022.
Becker, A., Ecker, L., Külpmann, I., Schwien, K. & Stobbe, P. (2023). Cooperative solidarity among crowdworkers? Social learning practices on a crowdtesting social media platform. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, Special Issue: Social Media and Platform Work, 1–22. doi: 10.1177/13548565231183298
Eckelt, M.; Schauer, J. (2023). It’s the region, stupid? Zur Bedeutung der Wohnortgröße als regionales Merkmal in der beruflichen Erstausbildung. bwp@ Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik – online, Ausgabe 44, 1-44. Open Access
Click here for the project team
Project leadership
Prof. Dr. Karin Büchter and Dr. Jiayin Li-Gottwald (HSU/UniBw H)
Cooperating chairs
Prof. Dr. Frank Kleemann (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Prof. Dr. Martin Krzywdzinski (WZB & HSU/UniBw H)
Prof. Dr. Tobias Schlömer (HSU/UniBw H)
Prof. Dr. Karin Büchter (HSU/UniBw H)
Project management
Dr. Jiayin Li-Gottwald (HSU/UniBw H)
Duration of the project
01.01.2021 – 31.12.2024
Contact
The project is part of in the umbrella project Organisation-Personal-Arbeit-Leadership (OPAL) of HSU/UniBw H in the Zentrum für Digitalisierungs- und Technologieforschung (dtec.bw) and is funded by the Konjunkturprogramms der Bundesregierung zur Überwindung der COVID-19-Krise.
Letzte Änderung: 22. April 2024