Lindsey D. Cameron

Assistant Professor of Management

Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Assistant Professor of Sociology (secondary)

School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

Faculty Fellow

Data & Society Research Institute

Gig Economy • Algorithmic Management • Future of Work

View my CV

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Photo credit: Tommy Leonardi

Research Focus

Policy misclassification and the future of work

Future of Work Roundtable, Pennsylvania State Senate
Photo credit: Pennsylvania State Senate

How algorithmic management is changing the modern workplace and individuals’ behaviors at work, with a focus on the gig economy.

Conducted six-year ethnography of the ride-hailing industry, the largest employer in the gig economy
Examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gig economy workers on several platforms (e.g., Instacart, Amazon Flex, TaskRabbit)
Currently researching how ride-hailing workers on three continents navigate disputes
Served as an expert witness for state government and private firms

Interesting Fact:

I worked as a ride-hailing driver as part of my research.

Why My Research Matters

My research program is focused on identifying and understanding how change driven by algorithms affect workers’ experience and how work is organized with an emphasis of the most marginalized and vulnerable workers.

Photo credit: Tommy Leonardi

How I Conduct Research

I am a field researcher.
My methodological expertise includes:

Ethnography
Longitudinal interviews
Archival & social media content analysis
Experience sampling
Field experiments

Where I Conduct Research

I have conducted research in a number of industries in the U.S. and abroad, including:

Gig Economy (e.g., DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Task Rabbit, Amazon Flex)
Small Business Owners
Shared service centers and call centers
Trucking
Insurance
Municipal Government

Where I Have Published

My work has been featured in the following journals:

Organization Science
Journal of Applied Psychology
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process
Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior
Computer-Human Interactions, Association of Computing Machinery

Best Paper Awards

In a line of experimental work, I explore organizational interventions (e.g., pay incentives, mindfulness practices, identity affirmations) that improve workers’ well-being and performance.

How My Research Is Supported

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Financial supporters:

AI for Business
People Analytics at Wharton
Mack Institute for Innovation
Data & Society Research Institute
Dean’s Fund
Center for Human Resources
Center for Social Impact

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Speaking engagements:

Aspen Institute
Ford Foundation
Harvard Law School
Governor’s Office of General Counsel, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Leadership
Microsoft & other Fortune 500 companies
Expert testimony at legislative hearings

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Media mentions:

Washington Post
Forbes
Bloomberg
CNBC
NPR’s Marketplace
Fast Company
World Economic Forum
The Skim
Inc.

I have published opinion pieces in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Kiplinger’s, and People & Strategy.

Education

PhD | University of Michigan | management

MS | George Washington University | engineering management, specialization – crisis, risk & emergency management

SB | Harvard University | electrical engineering and computer science, French minor

Interesting Fact:

I started college at age 15.

Work History

I spent over a decade in the U.S. intelligence and diplomatic communities as a digital and political analyst, completing overseas assignments in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Interesting Fact:

I intensively studied Arabic at the American University of Cairo and transformative leadership.

Global Interests

I am interested in immersion learning having led or assisted in research projects and classes in Detroit, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Mali, Malta, Algeria, and Rwanda.

Countries Visited

U.S. States Visited

Aspen Ideas Festival, Fellow
Photo credit: Samara Cohen

Leisure Interests

Tango and fusion dance
Competitive acrobatics (2nd in State, 2015)
Writing creative non-fiction
Trained in large group facilitation
African-American genealogy and history

Interesting Fact:

I am an experienced practitioner and teacher in mindfulness and non-dual awareness practices, holding lineage in a tradition and having trained at several centers in the United States.