Ludification as a Lens for Algorithmic Management - A Case Study of Gig-Workers’ Experiences of Ambiguity in Instacart Work

Sep 19, 2026

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On-demand work platforms attract workers, yet debates remain around employment classification, compensation, data privacy, and equitable outcomes. Algorithmic management can shape platform-worker relationships and intensify regulatory disputes. This study examines Instacart through 400 qualitative Reddit posts, identifying sources and types of ambiguity that produced open-ended worker experiences. Ambiguity both supplements gamification to regulate behavior and enables playful engagement in the community, supporting a ludification frame and accountability implications.

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Ludification as a Lens for Algorithmic Management: A Case Study of Gig-Workers’ Experiences of Ambiguity in Instacart Work Divya Ramesh [dramesh@umich.edu](dramesh@umich.edu)[ ](dramesh@umich.edu)University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Caitlin Henning [caithen@umich.edu](caithen@umich.edu)[ ](caithen@umich.edu)University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Nel Escher [kescher@umich.edu](kescher@umich.edu)[ ](kescher@umich.edu)University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Haiyi Zhu [haiyiz@andrew.cmu.edu](haiyiz@andrew.cmu.edu)[ ](haiyiz@andrew.cmu.edu)Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Min Kyung Lee [minkyung.lee@austin.utexas.edu](minkyung.lee@austin.utexas.edu)[ ](minkyung.lee@austin.utexas.edu)University of Austin Austin, Texas, USA Nikola Banovic [nbanovic@umich.edu](nbanovic@umich.edu)[ ](nbanovic@umich.edu)University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA ABSTRACT On-demand work platforms are attractive alternatives to traditional employment arrangements. However, several questions around employment classification, compensation, data privacy, and equitable outcomes remain open. The abilities of algorithmic management to structure different forms of platform-worker relationships compounds fraught regulatory debates. Understanding the conditions of algorithmic management that result in these variations could point us towards better worker futures. In this work, we studied the platform-worker relationships in Instacart work through the accounts of its workers. From a qualitative analysis of 400 Reddit posts by Instacart’s workers, we identified sources and types of ambiguity that gave rise to open-ended experiences for workers. Ambiguities supplemented gamification mechanisms to regulate worker behaviors. Yet, they also generated affective experiences for workers that enabled their playful participation in the Reddit community. We propose the frame of ludification to explain these seemingly contradicting findings and conclude with implications for accountability in on-demand work platforms. CCS CONCEPTS • Human-centered computing → Human computer interaction (HCI) . KEYWORDS algorithmic management, Gig-work, ambiguity, ludic design, ludic engagement, gamification, algorithmic resistance ACM Reference Format: Divya Ramesh, Caitlin Henning, Nel Escher, Haiyi Zhu, Min Kyung Lee, and Nikola Banovic. 2023. Ludification as a Lens for Algorithmic Management: A Case Study of Gig-Workers’ Experiences of Ambiguity in Instacart Work. In Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ’23), July Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission [and/or a fee. Request permissions from permissions@acm.org](and/or a fee. Request permissions from permissions@acm.org). DIS ’23, July 10–14, 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, USA © 2023 Copyright held by the owner/author(s) . Publication rights licensed to ACM. ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-9893-0/23/07. . . $15.00 [https://doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3596004](https://doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3596004) 10–14, 2023, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 14 pages. [https://doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3596004](https://doi.org/10.1145/3563657.3596004) 1 INTRODUCTION Attractive taglines, overnight success stories, and promises of autonomy have enticed numerous workers to enter the on-demand platform economy. As of 2021, 16% of the workforce in the UShas participated in the on-demand economy with similar numbers in countries across the globe [2] . However, increasing reportson

FAQs

What platform-work issues does the study focus on?

It focuses on questions around employment classification, compensation, data privacy, and equitable outcomes in on-demand platforms, and how algorithmic management shapes worker relationships.

How was data collected for the Instacart case study?

The study used a qualitative analysis of 400 Reddit posts authored by Instacart workers.

What role does ambiguity play in workers’ experiences?

Ambiguity creates open-ended experiences, supplements gamification-based regulation of worker behaviors, and also enables playful participation in the Reddit community.

Sep 19, 2026

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