Lindsey D. Cameron

Assistant Professor of Management

Dorinda and Mark Winkelman Distinguished Faculty Scholar

Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Assistant Professor of Sociology (secondary)

School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania

Member (Fellow)

Institute for Advanced Study

Faculty Associate

Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University

Affiliate

Data & Society Research Institute

Algorithmic Management • Digital Platforms • Gig Economy • Future of Work

Front-line Workers • Mindfulness & Well-Being

View my CV

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, with a focus on the gig economy

Conducted seven-year ethnography of the ride-hailing industry, the largest sector of the gig economy
Examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gig workers on several platforms (Instacart, Amazon Flex, TaskRabbit, DoorDash, Uber, Lyft)
How the gig economy’s business model changes in the Global South and the implications for management and workers
Served as an expert witness in litigation by 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 work and organizations, with an emphasis of the most marginalized and vulnerable workers.

Photo credit: Andrea Kane, Institute for Advanced Study

How I Conduct Research

I am a field researcher.
My methodological expertise includes:

Ethnography (participant observation)
Longitudinal interviews
Archival, newspapers, and social media analysis
Experience sampling
Field experiments

Where I Conduct Research

I have conducted research in a number of industries in the U.S., Canada, UK, Brazil, Germany, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain and other places, including:

Gig Economy (e.g., DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Task Rabbit, Amazon Flex)
Entrepreneurs/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:

Administrative Science Quarterly
Organization Science
Journal of Applied Psychology
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Process
Academy of Management Annals
Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior
Journal of Management Inquiry
Computer-Human Interactions, Association of Computing Machinery
Communications of the Association of Information Systems

Best Paper Awards

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

Teaching & Mentoring Awards

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 Business, Harvard Law, Stanford, Princeton, U. of Chicago, MIT, London Business 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:

Boston Globe
Washington Post
Philadelphia Inquirer
Forbes
Bloomberg
CNBC
Newsweek
Milwaukee Independent
NPR’s Marketplace
Fast Company
World Economic Forum
The Skim
Inc.

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

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 computer network operations and counter-terrorism analyst, completing overseas assignments in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe.

Interesting Fact:

I intensively studied Arabic at the American University of Cairo and transformative leadership at a renowned school of Chinese acupuncture.

Global Interests

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

Countries Visited

U.S. States & Territories 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.