As the author opines, many Silicon Valley tech companies find European and North American markets favorable due to comparatively high digital literacy levels and relatively stable regulatory conditions. In addition, tech companies are attracted to these markets due to the high discretionary income earned by consumers. These conditions are responsible for the current success of some of the latest technological innovations such as Uber. The adoption of such tech inventions has spread across the developed and developing countries, therefore, encompassing geographical locations otherwise formerly perceived as backward development wise.
As a key contributor to the success of Uber, the author points certain benefits so far realized from the application of the app in spite of the technical and operational challenges. These challenges are in addition to the occasional tumultuous relationship between the application of the technology and the governments that regulate the use of the application. One of such benefits is the resultant panacea to the transportation problem ever-present across both developed and developing societies given the surge in rural-urban migration.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
With the increase in the population presently under car-ownership, most cities continue to experience the problem of road congestion with most vehicles having single occupants ( Hazelbaker, 2018) . However, the emergence of Uber’s ride-hailing app has introduced a paradigm shift in this regard as most urban dwellers currently have the option of sharing rides to their destinations. Compared to the previous times of single occupancy, road congestions have been significantly reduced.
The technology has equally reduced the problem of space usage in most urban cities. In the United States and India, for example, privately-owned vehicles account for a considerable usage of parking space, with the number projected to rise as the number of car owners is set to increase. The main challenge in this regard is the fact that the rate of parking space utilization in such situations is less beneficial as each parking space only benefits a single person, compared to the potential additional three passengers in the case of a four occupancy vehicle under a ridesharing scenario.
Even more important is that Uber has emerged as a major source of employment for individuals previously unemployed or those willing to transition from their current jobs to the next. As Hazelbaker (2018) states, this segment of the population extends beyond the normal unemployed/underemployed individuals incapable of finding employment opportunities due to lack of educational requirements which has been a key factor in barring many people from employment opportunities. Contextually, the open-arm approach applied by Uber towards those willing to work for the company has enabled people from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds to earn a living even in cases where certain individuals would be unable under traditional employment settings.
As an exemplification, Uber has given women the opportunity for employment contrary to the socio-cultural dictates of certain societies such as those still under the yoke of patriarchal societal systems. In restricted societies such as Panama and Egypt, the labor market has been purely male-dominated. Such societies have few women who have been employed being relegated to low-caliber job categories with comparatively low pay (Barrett, 2014). As an equal opportunity employer, Uber has enabled women from such societies to find employment opportunities under similar employment terms and conditions with their male counterparts.
Unlike the traditional social institutions, the technology is making efforts to keep up with the future. Many actors continue to perceive work from the exclusive singular lens of ‘’9 to 5’’ despite the emerging changes in how people work in contemporary society. This old work model has failed to address the challenges that surface when people choose to work independently as the authority on when to arrive at, and leave the work station rests with the boss or office superior(s) ( Hazelbaker, 2018) . In addressing this shortcoming, Uber has enabled its employees to choose how they work in the absence of over-reliance and dependency associated with the traditional working model.
Other shortcomings of the traditional working model have also been addressed by the technology. One of such shortcomings has been evident in the failure of most employers to efficiently deal with common work-related problems such as injuries, medical treatment, disablement, and hospitalization. To this end, Uber has rolled out a medical insurance program for its employees in Latin America including Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, and Chile, and other countries beyond Latin America such as Nigeria, Bangladesh, Panama, and the Dominican Republic among others ( Hazelbaker, 2018) . The company has also enrolled social benefits by providing protection to its drivers for non-injury-related events including parental leave, sickness, and jury duty. Also, through a partnership with educational platforms and institutions, Uber is currently facilitating training opportunities for its employees through language and literacy training besides management and creation of small businesses. Similarly, Uber has attempted to address the gender issue which has existed in the traditional working model, especially in relation to the attitude of girls towards work and employment. This intervention is manifest in the leadership programs the company has enrolled in countries where the problem is more prevalent such as Brazil. Through its UberMeninas program designed to boost self-esteem and promote a good work attitude amongst girls, Uber continues to inspire women and girls to pursue careers in technology which has been traditionally associated with the male gender.
References
Barrett, M. (2014). Women's oppression today: The Marxist/feminist encounter . New York: Verso Books.
Hazelbaker, J. (2018). Global Technology Powered by Real People in Local Communities. Massachusetts: Harvard Business Publishing.
