# Voice in the algorithmic era: how perceived algorithmic control influences gig workers’ voice behavior

## TL;DR

This study explores how gig workers' perception of algorithmic control affects their voice behavior, showing that fairness perceptions play a key role.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a moderated mediation model linking perceived algorithmic control to voice behavior through algorithmic fairness.

## Key findings

- Perceived algorithmic control increases gig workers’ voice behavior by enhancing their perception of algorithmic fairness.
- Voice endorsement moderates the relationship between algorithmic fairness perception and voice behavior.
- Interviews reveal how gig workers construct fairness perceptions and decide to engage in voice behavior.

## Abstract

Existing studies have focused on gig workers’ voice behavior and the mechanisms through which it is expressed via official and unofficial channels, the underlying logic of voice behavior generation, particularly its operational pathways under algorithmic control remains under-investigated. Drawing on fairness heuristic theory, this paper proposes a moderated mediation model to explore the effect of perceived algorithmic control on gig workers’ voice behavior and its boundary condition. Based on the questionnaire data of 260 gig workers, the empirical results indicate that perceived algorithmic control significantly and positively predicts gig workers’ voice behavior by enhancing their perception of algorithmic fairness. Furthermore, voice endorsement moderates the relationship between perception of algorithmic fairness and voice behavior. Complementing these findings, in-depth interviews with 22 gig workers provide a more nuanced understanding of how individuals construct fairness perceptions under algorithmic control and how these perceptions inform their decisions to engage in voice behavior.