COMMColloquium

Catching the “Uber Flu”: An Emergent Behavior at the Intersection of Open and Closed Employment Models

Michael Maffie, Assistant Professor, Cornell University

1:30 pm in 102 Mann

In this talk, Dr. Michael Maffie examines how the gig economy reshapes behavior in traditional workplaces. Using original qualitative interviews and survey data, he introduces the concept of “catching the Uber flu,” where gig workers call off sick from their traditional jobs to pursue higher earnings on gig platforms. Dr. Maffie explores how the oscillating wage rates of the gig economy (an open employment model) interact with the more stable structures of traditional jobs (a closed employment model), giving rise to this emergent behavior. He also highlights how “high road” HR practices in traditional workplaces can address and even prevent this trend, offering actionable insights for employers managing the intersection of these labor models.

Michael Maffie is Assistant Professor of labor and employment relations at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration. His research looks at the relationship between technical and organizational change, with a focus on how digital infrastructure is changing the nature of work and employment. Primarily, he studies platform workers, such as Uber drivers, but also conducts research on conflict management, arbitration, and worker voice.