A variegated platform capitalism? Algorithms, labour process and institutions in Deliveroo in Bologna and Uber in Lisbon

This paper addresses the topic of platformisation of labour by investigating two case studies: Uber in Lisbon and Deliveroo in Bologna. According to the theoretical frameworks of variegated capitalism and supported by the analysis of empirical evidence stemming from the ground, the authors outline the hypothesis of a variegated platformisation, that is, the persistence of (dis)continuities in the operations of digital platforms between different socio-institutional contexts. This means that while, on one hand, the platform business model’s logic of accumulation and value extraction is the same regardless of the contexts, on the other side platforms reveal a strong ability to move in (and between) the specific socio-institutional-political regulatory framework. By following the algorithm, which is adopting a multi-sided ethnographic approach investigating how algorithms change across time, space and sectors, the paper will stress both similarities and differences between platform labour process in Deliveroo in Bologna and Uber in Portugal. Finally, while on one hand the conclusion will focus on how institution (still) matter, crucially influencing the development of platforms, on the other it will be stressed the necessity of a more nuanced approach to understand the uneven development of platform capitalism.