Institutional Voids and Regulatory Ambiguity in Platform-Based Work

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how gig workers in Iraq experience and navigate institutional voids and regulatory ambiguity in platform-based employment. A qualitative research design was employed, using semi-structured interviews with 29 platform-based workers from major cities in Iraq including Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, and Najaf. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure sectoral diversity across ride-hailing, food delivery, and freelance digital services. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo software, following Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. The analysis focused on identifying recurring themes related to workers’ legal status, institutional engagement, and adaptive strategies in the absence of formal protections. Three main themes were identified: navigating regulatory uncertainty, institutional disconnection, and adaptive work practices. Workers reported widespread legal ambiguity, including the absence of formal contracts, unclear tax obligations, and inconsistent enforcement by authorities. Participants also expressed mistrust in public institutions and described being excluded from unions, social protection systems, and formal financial services. In response, workers relied on informal networks, self-regulation, and algorithmic management tactics to cope with risk and optimize earnings. Emotional resilience and flexibility were key survival strategies, but often came at the expense of psychological well-being and job stability. The findings highlight that in fragile regulatory environments such as Iraq, platform-based workers operate within profound institutional voids that intensify their precarity. Regulatory ambiguity is not a temporary condition but a structural feature that benefits platforms while disempowering workers. Policy reform, institutional coordination, and platform accountability are urgently needed to support worker rights and stability in the gig economy.