High Score, Low Pay

Before labor rights and a social welfare system protected workers, economic necessity ensured that people worked hard. But once these safeguards were in place, people didn’t start slacking. According to sociologist Michael Burawoy, gamification replaced coercion. Managers framed production, for example, as a set of challenges that motivated workers to overcome obstacles and reach targets. Burawoy observed that gamification also meant that dissatisfied workers no longer felt disgruntled about employers – but rather directed their anger at the colleague who slowed them down.

Today’s ride-sharing companies also use gamification as a management tool. They offer their employees freedom...