HRM research

1st case-Zomato’s dilemma – a case of disgruntled delivery partners at Zomato

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EEMCS-07-2022-0227/full/pdf?
title=zomatos-dilemma-a-case-of-disgruntled-delivery-partners-at-zomato

Based on the information provided in the case study, the delivery partners at Zomato appear to have
a range of thoughts and feelings about their work life:

1. **Frustration and Anger:** Many delivery partners express frustration and anger towards Zomato,
feeling exploited and mistreated. They perceive the company's policies and practices as unfair,
particularly regarding low pay, long working hours, and lack of benefits. This frustration often
manifests in public protests, social media campaigns, and vocal criticism of Zomato's management.

2. **Job Insecurity:** Delivery partners face uncertainty about the stability of their employment
with Zomato. The high churn rate among delivery partners suggests a prevalent sense of job
insecurity, with many considering switching to other occupations or delivery platforms.

3. **Financial Concerns:** Financial issues, including low base pay, high variable components, and
out-of-pocket expenses, are significant sources of stress for delivery partners. Many feel that they are
spending more money on expenses like fuel, maintenance, and equipment than they are earning
from their work with Zomato.

4. **Physical and Emotional Strain:** Delivery partners endure physical and emotional challenges
while performing their duties. Riding motorcycles or bicycles for long hours in challenging weather
conditions and heavy traffic takes a toll on their physical well-being. Additionally, the pressure to
meet incentive targets and deal with job-related stressors contributes to emotional strain.

5. **Perceived Exploitation:** Some delivery partners feel exploited by Zomato, perceiving

themselves as being treated like "slaves." They believe that the company prioritizes its own interests
over their well-being and fails to adequately address their concerns.

6. **Desire for Improvement:** Despite their grievances, many delivery partners express a desire for
positive change and improvement in their work conditions. They advocate for fairer compensation,
better benefits, and improved working conditions, hoping to create a more equitable and fulfilling
work environment.

Overall, the delivery partners at Zomato seem to have a complex and multifaceted perspective on
their work life, characterized by a mix of frustration, insecurity, financial strain, and a desire for
improvement and fairness.
One paragraph

The delivery partners at Zomato express a range of emotions and thoughts regarding their work life,
including frustration and anger towards what they perceive as exploitation and mistreatment by the
company. They face significant job insecurity, with many considering leaving due to the instability of
their employment. Financial concerns, such as low pay and high expenses, add to their stress, while
the physical and emotional strain of long hours and challenging working conditions further
exacerbate their difficulties. Despite feeling exploited, many delivery partners advocate for positive
change and improvement in their work conditions, hoping for fairer compensation, better benefits,
and a more equitable work environment overall.

2nd case

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357972381_Barriers_to_entry_of_gig_workers_in_the_gi
g_platforms_exploring_the_dark_side_of_the_gig_economy

Based on the research paper provided, the condition of gig delivery workers in the gig economy,
specifically in the food delivery sector, appears to be challenging and precarious. Several factors
contribute to these difficult conditions:

1. **Low Payment Structures**: Gig workers are paid per task or per job without fixed payment
structures. This uncertainty in income can lead to financial instability for gig workers.

2. **Incentives**: While incentives are offered by gig platforms during high demand periods, they
may be temporary and contingent upon specific conditions set by the platforms. This can create
uncertainty and pressure for gig workers to meet certain criteria to earn incentives.

3. **High Competition**: The gig economy faces intense competition, which can drive down wages
for gig workers. Increased competition may lead to gig workers accepting lower pay rates in order to
secure work.

4. **Operating Expenses**: Gig workers are often responsible for covering their own operating
expenses such as fuel, vehicle maintenance, and internet costs. These expenses can sometimes
outweigh the earnings from gig work, particularly during periods of low demand.

5. **Long Hours and Late-Night Deliveries**: Gig workers may feel compelled to work long hours and
accept late-night deliveries in order to maximize their earnings, leading to potential fatigue and
safety concerns.
6. **Lack of Social Protection and Retirement Benefits**: Gig workers typically do not receive
traditional employment benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, or paid time off. This
lack of social protection can leave gig workers vulnerable to financial insecurity and hardship.

7. **Digital Skills and Background Checks**: Gig workers may face barriers related to their digital
literacy and background checks required by gig platforms. These requirements could create
additional challenges for certain individuals seeking to enter the gig economy.

8. **Language Barriers**: Language proficiency may be a barrier for some gig workers, particularly if
they are required to read instructions or communicate with customers in a language with which they
are not fluent.

9. **Gender Discrimination**: Gender inequality and discrimination may exist within the gig
economy, potentially affecting opportunities and earnings for female gig workers.

Overall, the conditions for gig delivery workers described in the research paper suggest a precarious
and challenging environment characterized by uncertain income, intense competition, and limited
access to traditional employment benefits and protections.

The alternative arrangements to traditional employment have become a promising area in the gig
economy with the technological advancements dominating every work. The purpose of this paper is
to explore the barriers to the entry of gig workers in gig platforms pertaining to the food delivery
sector. It proposes a framework using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) for which systematic
literature review is done to extract the variables. This analysis helps to examine the relationship
between the entry barriers to gig platforms. The study further proposes strategies to reduce the
entry barriers in gig sector which would help to enhance productivity and generate employment
opportunities.
Design/methodology/approach – The study uses interpretive structural model (ISM) to ascertain the
relationship between various entry barriers of the gig workers to the gig platforms. It also validates
the relationship and understand the reasons of their association along with MICMAC analysis. The
model was designed by consulting the gig workers and the experts allied to food delivery gig
platforms namely Zomato and Swiggy.

Findings – It was observed that high competition, longer login hours and late-night deliveries are the
significant barriers with high driving power and low dependence power. Poor payment structures
and strict terms and conditions for receiving the incentives are interdependent on each other and
have moderate driving and dependence power. The expenses borne by the gig workers, such as
Internet, fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses have high dependence power and low driving
power. Hence, they are relatively less significant than other barriers.
Research limitations/implications – The study is confined to food delivery sector of India, without
considering other important sectors of gig economy for generalizing the framework. As the study is
based on forming an ISM framework through literature review only, it does not consider other
research methods for analysing the entry barriers to the gig platforms.

Practical implications – The study attempts to dig out the low entry barriers for gig workers in food
delivery platforms as there is a dearth of analysis of these factors. This study would weave them
using ISM framework to help the gig platforms overcome these barriers at various levels, thus adding
to the body of literature.