Navigating algorithmic paradox management: the role of workplace game engagement and regulatory focus

Algorithmic HRM (human resource management), utilized by gig platforms, often leads to algorithmic paradox management, which encompasses a series of tensions. However, we know little about how app-workers navigate these paradoxes. Leveraging workplace game theory and regulatory focus theory, this study explores the coping strategies employed by app-workers in response to algorithmic paradox management and examines their boundary conditions. Through a field study of 356 ride-hailing drivers from a large ride-hailing platform, utilizing both self-reported and algorithm-reported measures of service performance, we reveal the dual mediating roles of relational game engagement and efficiency game engagement between algorithmic paradox management and service performance. Our findings indicate that relational game engagement has a stronger indirect impact on service performance than efficiency game engagement, highlighting the differential effectiveness of these coping strategies. Additionally, we find that, in coping with algorithmic paradox management, app-workers with a high promotion focus are more likely to adopt relational game strategies, while those with a high prevention focus are more likely to adopt efficiency game strategies. These findings offer critical directions for future research and practical HRM implications for app-work environments, providing a roadmap for navigating the complexities introduced by algorithmic paradox management.