Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers

The use of algorithms systems that manage employees is now common in many industries. Trucking is no exception since freight companies need sophisticated systems to comply with legal obligations regarding driving time limitations. However, these systems often go far beyond simple GPS tracking, with...

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Main Authors: Antoine Bujold, Xavier Parent-Rocheleau, Marie-Claude Gaudet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-12-01
Series:Computers in Human Behavior Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000793
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author Antoine Bujold
Xavier Parent-Rocheleau
Marie-Claude Gaudet
author_facet Antoine Bujold
Xavier Parent-Rocheleau
Marie-Claude Gaudet
author_sort Antoine Bujold
collection DOAJ
description The use of algorithms systems that manage employees is now common in many industries. Trucking is no exception since freight companies need sophisticated systems to comply with legal obligations regarding driving time limitations. However, these systems often go far beyond simple GPS tracking, with other advanced surveillance devices being linked to performance management of truck drivers. Despite the growing literature emphasizing how the opacity of these systems may lead to perceived unjust automated decisions, no studies has empirically examined the relationships between algorithmic management transparency on truck driver attitudes. Hence, this study aims to quantitatively investigate the effect of the transparency of two algorithmic management functions (i.e., surveillance and performance management) on distributive and procedural justice. Moreover, considering that this industry faces an extraordinarily high turnover rate, the indirect relationship between algorithmic management transparency and driver's intention to quit through the mediating role of perceived justice will also be examined. Data were collected from 110 respondents via online communities of truck drivers. The results show that the transparency of algorithmic surveillance is positively related to procedural justice whereas the transparency of algorithmic performance management is positively related to distributive justice. Furthermore, our results show that procedural justice mediates the negative relationship between the transparency of algorithmic surveillance and intention to quit and that distributive justice mediates the negative relationship between the transparency of algorithmic performance management and intention to quit. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
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spelling doaj.art-a6339f56da87439db4d060b7f7202e002022-12-22T02:38:47ZengElsevierComputers in Human Behavior Reports2451-95882022-12-018100245Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck driversAntoine Bujold0Xavier Parent-Rocheleau1Marie-Claude Gaudet2Corresponding author.HEC Montreal, 3000 Chem. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 2A7, Canada.; HEC Montreal, Montreal, CanadaHEC Montreal, Montreal, CanadaHEC Montreal, Montreal, CanadaThe use of algorithms systems that manage employees is now common in many industries. Trucking is no exception since freight companies need sophisticated systems to comply with legal obligations regarding driving time limitations. However, these systems often go far beyond simple GPS tracking, with other advanced surveillance devices being linked to performance management of truck drivers. Despite the growing literature emphasizing how the opacity of these systems may lead to perceived unjust automated decisions, no studies has empirically examined the relationships between algorithmic management transparency on truck driver attitudes. Hence, this study aims to quantitatively investigate the effect of the transparency of two algorithmic management functions (i.e., surveillance and performance management) on distributive and procedural justice. Moreover, considering that this industry faces an extraordinarily high turnover rate, the indirect relationship between algorithmic management transparency and driver's intention to quit through the mediating role of perceived justice will also be examined. Data were collected from 110 respondents via online communities of truck drivers. The results show that the transparency of algorithmic surveillance is positively related to procedural justice whereas the transparency of algorithmic performance management is positively related to distributive justice. Furthermore, our results show that procedural justice mediates the negative relationship between the transparency of algorithmic surveillance and intention to quit and that distributive justice mediates the negative relationship between the transparency of algorithmic performance management and intention to quit. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000793Algorithmic managementTransparencyDistributive justiceProcedural justiceIntention to quitTrucking
spellingShingle Antoine Bujold
Xavier Parent-Rocheleau
Marie-Claude Gaudet
Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
Computers in Human Behavior Reports
Algorithmic management
Transparency
Distributive justice
Procedural justice
Intention to quit
Trucking
title Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
title_full Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
title_fullStr Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
title_full_unstemmed Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
title_short Opacity behind the wheel: The relationship between transparency of algorithmic management, justice perception, and intention to quit among truck drivers
title_sort opacity behind the wheel the relationship between transparency of algorithmic management justice perception and intention to quit among truck drivers
topic Algorithmic management
Transparency
Distributive justice
Procedural justice
Intention to quit
Trucking
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000793
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