Workload Management and Service Quality Consistency: An Empirical Study of Gig Workers and Consumers in South Tangerang

Sakti Wicaksono

doi:10.59639/asik.v4i2.149

Authors

Sakti Wicaksono Universitas Pamulang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59639/asik.v4i2.149

Keywords:

algorithmic HRM, gig economy, workload management, service quality consistency, Qualitative Study

Abstract

The rapid growth of on-demand food delivery platforms has institutionalized algorithmic human resource management (HRM), shifting traditional supervisory roles onto automated software tracking. While designed to optimize operational efficiency, these strict algorithmic workloads heavily influence the frontline gig workers who execute the labor, directly impacting the final service delivery. This study explores how the operational tensions within algorithmic workload management shape the lived experiences of couriers, and how these frontline realities subsequently influence consumer-perceived service quality consistency in the high-density suburban zone of South Tangerang. Utilizing a qualitative, exploratory case study design, this research deployed purposive sampling to recruit 8 active ShopeeFood couriers and 10 regular platform consumers in South Tangerang. Primary data was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews and field observations at major merchant clusters. The verbatim transcripts were processed using thematic analysis. The thematic analysis revealed three core themes: (1) Algorithmic Despotism, where the illusion of gig flexibility is replaced by systemic anxiety over opaque ratings and point-chasing; (2) The Overflow Effect, where severe time-poverty and multi-batching bottlenecks cause psychophysical burnout, directly degrading frontline interaction courtesy and handling care; and (3) Consumer Meaning-Making, where sophisticated urban consumers interpret visible service fluctuations as a structural symptom of an overloaded human workforce rather than isolated courier errors. This study concludes that prioritizing mathematical platform optimization over human capacity creates a counter-productive paradox, where internal workload pressures destabilize long-term service quality consistency. Platform management must integrate human-centric workload boundaries to sustain both worker well-being and consumer brand loyalty.

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