Anthropomorphising the algorithm: A ‘Theory of Mind’ perspective on psychological contract creation in gig work arrangements

The ‘agency’ question is long‐standing in psychological contract (PC) research: Who is the target party when a PC is created? Rousseau (1995), reflecting on the various organisational agents involved in working relationships, suggested that ‘most contract makers are individuals acting as the organisation's agents, who communicate demands and expectations upon which employment, advancement, remuneration, and retention are predicated’ (p. 60). Although administrative contract makers such as policies and HR practices are also historically recognised (Rousseau and Greller 1994; Suazo et al. 2009), the primacy of the ‘human’ contract maker in PC research has been central (Guest and Conway 2002).Yet, the rapid emergence of algorithmic‐enabled forms of employment in the gig economy disrupts the idea that the PC target party is always a human agent (Duggan et al. 2020). Digital labour platforms (DLPs) act as technological intermediaries to connect customers with service‐providing, independent freelancers in an on‐demand manner to carry out-short‐term tasks. It is in this context that we raise the fundamental question of whether a worker can create a PC with a non‐human agent in the form of an algorithm that mediates their relationship with an organisation. The implications of this question compel a fresh look at the features of PC Theory and its assumption