This thesis presents a preliminary design of a demand forecasting service using a service design approach. The service aims to provide a better user experience when forecasting demands for the Operational Managers (OM) in an online food-delivery platform. Based on the internal user interviews, demand forecasting is essential to plan the right yet efficient balance between order demand and delivery supply. However, some limitations were discovered in the existing process that creates unnecessary manual work, and therefore less time productivity. This thesis explores whether to create a better digital and centralized forecasting service and can be introduced to reduce the manual tasks as much as possible using Machine Learning models. The research methodologies used in this thesis are the user-centric design methods, for example, semi-structured interviews, Affinity diagrams, Stakeholder Mapping, Persona, User Journey Mapping, and Service Blueprint. Moreover, the research highlights the current gaps in the forecasting process and presents comprehensive suggestions in designing the forecasting service. The results also combined the stakeholder aspirations to ensure operational efficiency and user-centric design methods to solve those gaps. / Denna uppsats presenterar en preliminär design för en tjänst för efterfrågeprognostisering med hjälp av en tjänstedesignmetod. Tjänsten syftar till att ge en bättre användarupplevelse vid prognostisering av efterfrågan för de operativa cheferna på en online-matleveranstjänst. Intervjuer med interna användare visade att prognostisering av efterfrågan är viktig för att kunna planera en korrekt men effektiv balans mellan efterfrågan och antalet kurirer. I den nuvarande processen upptäcktes dock några begränsningar som skapar onödigt manuellt arbete och mindre tidsproduktivitet. Förslaget var att skapa en bättre digital och centraliserad prognostiseringstjänst och minska de manuella uppgifterna så mycket som möjligt med hjälp av maskininlärningsmodeller. I forskningen tillämpades användarcentrerade designmetoder, till exempel halvstrukturerade intervjuer, affinitetsdiagram, intressentkartläggning, persona, kartläggning av kundresor och service blueprint. Dessutom belyste forskningen de befintliga luckorna i hela processen och presenterade omfattande förbättringsförslag för utformningen av prognostiseringstjänsten. Resultaten kombinerade också intressenternas ambitioner för att säkerställa operativ effektivitet med användarcentrerade designmetoder för att lösa rätt problem. Prognostiseringstjänsten utvecklades av företaget utgående från forskningsresultatet.

Background: Ordering online food delivery has become an urban lifestyle for many people around the world, especially in China. The booming of this online-to-offline market has brought lucrative profits to online food delivery industry players, while consumers are enjoying the diversity of food available through this convenient delivery way. However, the environmental issues are also alarming with huge impact on every aspect of human development. This paper is interested in whether the Chinese Generation Z is thinking green when ordering food online. Purpose: The study aims to examine the effect of different influencing factors on Generation Z’s green consumer behaviour in three stages: purchasing, using and disposing for a holistic view. This also serves the purpose of an adaptation of relevant theories in green consumer behaviour studies such as theory of planned behaviour and ecological conscious consumer behaviour framework into the Chinese online food delivery industry. Method: A quantitative research was conducted based on a hypothesised model aiming to analyse the causal relationships between 5 factors (perceived consumer behaviour, environmental control, altruism, narcissism and subjective norm) and ECCB, together with the purchasing, using and disposing stages. 326 valid responses were collected from an online survey for the data analysis procedures in SPSS and SPSS Amos. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were among the analysis methods conducted. Conclusion: Subjective norm, narcissism, and perceived consumer effectiveness were found to have significant positive effects on green consumer behaviour among the five proposed predictors for Chinese Generation Z. The most impactful determinant is narcissism, followed by subjective norm and lastly, perceived consumer effectiveness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how online food delivery companies changed the language in their advertising and took advantage of lockdown restrictions when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Using advertising technique theory and Norman Fairclough’s three dimensional framework for analyzing advertising discourse, this study scrutinized the Twitter advertising of four major online food delivery companies in the United States and the United Kingdom (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Just Eat) from 1 February 2020 to 30 April 2020 for the purposes of understanding how these companies advertised on Twitter just before the pandemic began and how they pivoted to new advertising techniques and discourses at the beginning of the pandemic. The results show that before the pandemic began, the online food delivery companies’ Twitter advertising generally depended on self-indulgence and giving audiences an excuse to use their service. When the pandemic began, however, the results of this study show the online food delivery companies' conscious efforts to leverage the economic struggle of the food industry caused by the pandemic to their benefit by shifting their advertising techniques and discourses in various ways.

El presente trabajo sustenta la validación del modelo de negocio del aplicativo móvil Mr. Chef. El cual permite ofrecer una variedad de servicios, como chefs a domicilio, bartender, alquiler de menajes, entre otros. Esta idea de negocio está dirigida a dos segmentos relevantes; en primera instancia, a personas que desean adquirir servicios para el desarrollo de un evento especial, logrando tener una experiencia agradable en su domicilio. Y, también, para profesionales en el rubro gastronómico y de servicios, que deseen obtener mayores ingresos. Como punto de partida, se procedió a realizar experimentos que ayuden a recolectar información sobre la necesidad identificada. Así, se logró diseñar una solución adecuada con las preferencias y recomendaciones del público objetivo, para iniciar la implementación del proyecto. Los experimentos realizados permitieron la validación pertinente del aplicativo, el conocimiento de los puntos a mejora y sus principales atractivos. Al tener un conocimiento sobre los beneficios y deficiencias del aplicativo, se lograron efectuar los cambios para poder poner en marcha las estrategias de marketing y ventas. Se desarrolló un plan de marketing digital ejecutado en las dos principales redes sociales: Instagram y Facebook; con el fin de poder generar interacción y relación con los principales usuarios. Finalmente, la data recolectada a lo largo del desarrollo de cada uno de los experimentos permitió elaborar una estructura financiera real, reflejando una proyección de negocios a tres años y el financiamiento de este. En definitiva, luego del análisis respectivo de los resultados obtenidos, se demostró que Mr. Chef es un proyecto innovador y sostenible a futuro; a pesar de la coyuntura por el Covid-19. / This project supports the validation of the business model of the Mr. Chef mobile application. It allows to offer a variety of services, such as home chefs, bartenders, rental of kitchenware, among others. This business idea is aimed at two relevant segments; firstly, to people who wish to acquire services for the development of a special event, achieving a pleasant experience at home. And, also, for professionals in the gastronomic and service industry, who wish to obtain higher income. As a starting point, we proceeded to conduct experiments to help gather information about the identified need. Thus, an adequate solution was designed with the preferences and recommendations of the target public, to start the implementation of the project. The experiments carried out allowed the relevant validation of the application, the knowledge of the points to be improved and its main attractions. Having knowledge of the benefits and deficiencies of the application, changes were made in order to implement marketing and sales strategies. A digital marketing plan was developed and executed in the two main social networks: Instagram and Facebook; in order to generate interaction and relationship with the main users. Finally, the data collected throughout the development of each of the experiments allowed the elaboration of a real financial structure, reflecting a three-year business projection and its financing. In short, after the respective analysis of the results obtained, it was demonstrated that Mr. Chef is an innovative and sustainable project for the future, despite the Covid-19 situation. / Trabajo de investigación

This study aims to describe food delivery workers experiences in the gig economy of a specific company, their relationship with the trade union, and their thoughts on their future, within and outside the industry. The empirical data consists of seven semi-structured interviews. The purpose will be answered with help of the theoretical concepts of precariat, dependency, algorithmic control, and aspirations. Previous research in algorithmic control and the precariat shows that the freedom that the work provides, the so-called flexibility, exists under the algorithmic control, but isn’t considered positive for everyone. Those who benefit from flexibility are those who have other occupations, and they are the ones who are more likely to be satisfied with the work. At the same time, the flexible work can be negative for others, with negative impact on their mental health, which means that they are less to be satisfied with the work and they experience the precarious to a greater extent. This study shows that the workers are exposed to insecure work through mental and physical risks, which are the results of the conditions that the algorithmic control and the company produces. The workers with several occupations experience the flexible work as something positive. There is also a culture of silence in the company, where those with permanent contracts are those who try to make a change in the insecure work. Those with short- term contracts are afraid of being sanctioned by the company. The union and the company maintain a precariousness for the workers by not meeting them on their terms. The workers future plans and aspirations are dependent and affected by their Swedish language skills.

En raison de certaines barrières structurelles d’accès à l’emploi qu’elles rencontrent, plusieurs personnes immigrantes nouvellement arrivées sont reléguées vers les emplois faiblement rémunérés et dits « peu qualifiés ». Dans le prolongement de ces dynamiques, des études montrent que les personnes issues de l’immigration sont surreprésentées au sein des plateformes numériques de travail, une forme d’emploi précaire en raison notamment des faibles salaires octroyés et de l’imposition d’un statut de travailleur autonome limitant l’accès à différents régimes de protections sociales. Malgré ce constat, peu d’études québécoises et canadiennes ont exploré le lien entre l’intégration socioprofessionnelle des personnes immigrantes et le travail de plateformes. À partir d’entretiens semi-dirigés réalisés auprès de 17 travailleur·euse·s de plateformes numériques de livraison de nourriture, ce mémoire s’interroge sur la place qu’occupent ces plateformes dans le parcours d’intégration socioprofessionnelle des nouveaux·elles arrivant·e·s au Québec. Les résultats de cette enquête exploratoire portent à adopter un regard nuancé sur la situation des personnes immigrantes nouvellement arrivées et travailleur·se·s de plateformes. Malgré leur haut niveau de diplomation et leurs expériences de travail antérieures, la majorité des participant·e·s n’était pas parvenue à occuper un emploi correspondant à leurs qualifications et à leurs attentes dans les mois et les années suivant leur arrivée au Québec. Avant de travailler sur les plateformes, ils et elles s’étaient d’abord tourné·e·s vers le travail salarié déqualifiant, faiblement rémunéré et qui les exposait à plusieurs contraintes de travail. En dépit des conditions de travail précaires offertes et des nombreuses insatisfactions exprimées par les participant·e·s, les plateformes numériques de travail représentent néanmoins une alternative avantageuse puisqu’elles s’accompagnent parfois d’une meilleure rémunération, d’un moindre effort physique, ainsi que d’un plus grand contrôle sur les heures et horaires de travail. Pour l’ensemble des participant·e·s, le travail de plateforme constitue une activité temporaire et s’inscrit plus largement dans des projets professionnels et migratoires – dans le cas des résident·e·s temporaires -, mais aussi dans un contexte marqué par la pandémie de COVID-19. Le passage au travail de plateforme constitue une forme de stratégie mobilisée par les participant·e·s pour surmonter les différentes contraintes – économiques, conciliation des sphères de vie, statut migratoire restrictif - rencontrées dans le cadre de leur parcours d’intégration socioprofessionnelle et faciliter le passage à une situation favorable. / Due to certain structural barriers to accessing employment, many newly arrived immigrants are relegated to low-paying, so-called "low-skilled" jobs. As an extension of these dynamics, studies show that people of immigrant background are overrepresented in digital work platforms, a form of precarious employment due in particular to the low wages paid and the imposition of a self-employed status that limits access to various social protection schemes. Despite this observation, few Quebec and Canadian studies have explored the link between the socio-professional integration of immigrants and digital platforms. Based on semi-structured interviews with 17 workers of digital food delivery platforms, this thesis examines the role of these platforms in the socio-professional integration of newcomers to Quebec. The results of this exploratory study suggest a nuanced view of the situation of newly arrived immigrants and platform workers. Despite their high level of education and previous work experience, the majority of participants had not managed to find a job that matched their qualifications and expectations in the months and years following their arrival in Quebec. Before working on the platforms, they had first turned to low-skill, low-paying salaried work that exposed them to several work constraints. Despite the precarious working conditions offered and the many dissatisfactions voiced by the participants, digital work platforms nevertheless represent an advantageous alternative since they are sometimes accompanied with better pay, less physical effort, and greater control over working hours and schedules. For all the participants, platform work is a temporary activity and is part of their professional and migratory projects - in the case of temporary residents - but also in a context marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition to platform work constitutes a form of strategy mobilized by the participants to overcome the various constraints - economic, reconciliation of spheres of life, restrictive migratory status - encountered in the course of their socio-professional integration and to facilitate the transition to a favorable situation.

The use of the Internet and digital services has increased significantly during recent years, and as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field keeps on expanding, it is influencing aspects of our daily lives, though not always for the better. Researchers and practitioners, including a small number of designers, are addressing the growing concerns about the Internet’s environmental impact, such as electronic waste, increased energy use, resource depletion, and carbon footprint, which have emerged in recent years, and are calling for a more environment-friendly approach to web and app design. However, it is still a relatively new area of concern. This study evaluates existing guidelines for designing low-impact user interfaces in the mobile food delivery sector. First, the study investigates users’ food delivery habits and their impressions of low-impact interfaces. The findings from this section are then used to design a low-impact food delivery application (FDA) prototype and are tested with users to see how to make low-impact interfaces attractive for a possible change in user behaviors. This thesis builds on previous research about sustainable web design, but the focus area of this study is to investigate whether applied guidelines and low-impact design features are desired by users on mobile screens as well. The research reveals that low-impact features are indeed useful on smaller screens as well and users are generally open-minded and acceptive of front-end changes that have a more positive impact on the environment. However, it is crucial to communicate clearly about any low-impact modifications made to an application, due to the current low level of user awareness and knowledge in this field.

Following an actor-centred approach to institutional change, the aim of the study was to explore the process of ‘greenfield organising’ through which unions and collective bargaining structures are established in workplaces where there are none initially. A qualitative theory-oriented single case study, using some principles of the grounded theory, analysed the organising process and negotiations at Foodora in Sweden that resulted in a collective agreement. Besides, a phenomenographic approach was employed to understand participants’ conceptions of an organising success. Riders and union officials of the Transport union were interviewed for both parts of the study. The empirical material of the case study also included a survey conducted by the union, the Transport and Foodora collective agreements, media reports and articles, organisational webpages, social media, and legal acts. The results showed that workforce fragmentation and isolation were obstacles to the riders’ mobilisation but social interactions, through which pre-existing networks were mobilised and new relations were built, were central to the organising process. These bonds facilitated the transformative agency exerted by the riders and the union, which was based on intense involvement, learning and strategy. Thereby, they were able to influence influential factors and to build new social structure through increased union membership and a new collective agreement. These outcomes might be considered emerging components of an organising success, which the participants conceive mainly in terms of high level of union membership, workers’ solidaristic engagement and knowledge of their rights, reaching a collective agreement, working conditions improvement. The main conclusions of the study are, firstly, that a relational approach to social reality is required to understand the mobilisation of actors and the significance of institutional contradictions for them. Secondly, resources mobilisation and strategic capabilities were key dimensions of the agency exerted by actors. Finally, this agency, albeit embedded in constraining structural conditions, was able to some extent to achieve institutional change. / Syftet med studien var att via ett aktörsinriktat tillvägagångssätt utforska så kallad "greenfield-organisering"- det vill säga institutionella förändringar inom vilka fackföreningar och förhandlingsstrukturer etableras på arbetsplatser där det till en början saknas sådana. Inspirerad av grundad teori genomfördes en kvalitativ teoriorienterad single case-studie för att analysera organiseringsprocessen och de fackliga förhandlingarna med Foodora i Sverige och som sedan resulterade i ett kollektivavtal. Därtill användes även fenomenografisk metod för att förstå deltagarnas uppfattningar om en framgångsrik organisering. Cykelbud och Transports fackliga tjänstemän intervjuades för båda delarna av studien. Ytterligare empiriskt material som utforskades i case-studien, var en facklig undersökning, Transports och Foodoras kollektivavtal, mediarapporter och artiklar, organisatoriska webbsidor, sociala medier, samt lagstiftning. Resultaten visade att fragmentering och isolering av arbetsstyrkan var ett hinder för cykelbudens mobilisering, men att sociala interaktioner, genom vilka redan existerande nätverk mobiliserades och nya relationer byggdes, var centrala i organiseringsprocessen. Dessa band underlättade transformativ handling – "agency" – för cykelbuden och facket, som baserades på intensivt engagemang, lärande och strategiskt handlande. Därigenom kunde de påverka viktiga faktorer och bygga upp en ny social struktur genom ökat fackligt medlemskap och ett nytt kollektivavtal. Resultatet kan betraktas som komponenter av en framgångsrik organisering på en arbetsplats, som deltagarna främst tänker på i form av hög facklig anslutning, solidariskt engagemang från arbetare och kunskap om sina rättigheter, vikten av att ha ett kollektivavtal och förbättrade arbetsvillkor. Studiens huvudsakliga slutsatser är, för det första, att det krävs ett relationellt förhållningssätt till den sociala verkligheten för att förstå aktörernas mobilisering och institutionella motsättningar. Den andra slutsatsen är att resursmobilisering och strategiska förmågor var viktiga dimensioner av aktörers handlingar - "agency." Trots att det var inbäddade i begränsande strukturella förhållanden kunde dessa handlingar slutligen i viss utsträckning uppnå institutionell förändring. / Suivant une approche du changement institutionnel centrée sur l'acteur, l'objectif de cette étude était d'explorer le processus d’implantation syndicale à travers lequel des syndicats et structures de négociation collective sont mis en place sur des lieux de travail qui en sont initialement dépourvus. Une étude de cas, qualitative et à finalité théorique, reprenant certains principes de la “grounded theory” - “théorie ancrée”, a eu pour objet d’analyser le processus d'organisation et de négociations à Foodora en Suède ayant abouti à un accord collectif. En outre, une étude phénoménographique a été menée afin de comprendre les conceptions qu’avaient les participant/e/s d'une implantation syndicale réussie. Des entretiens ont été conduits avec des livreurs/se de Foodora et des responsables du syndicat Transport pour les deux volets de l'étude. Le matériau empirique comprend également, pour l'étude de cas, les résultats d’une étude menée par le syndicat, les accords collectifs sectoriel et conclu avec Foodora, des articles et reportages dans les médias, les sites Internet et réseaux sociaux des organisations, ainsi que des textes législatifs. Les résultats de l’étude ont montré que la fragmentation du collectif de travail et l’isolement des livreurs/ses ont été des obstacles à leur mobilisation; a contrario, les interactions sociales, à travers lesquelles des réseaux préexistants ont été mobilisés et de nouvelles relations ont été construites, ont été au cœur du processus d'organisation. Ces liens ont facilité l’action transformatrice des livreurs/ses et du syndicat, basée sur un engagement intense, l’apprentissage et une approche stratégique. Ils ont pu ainsi, d’une part, influencer des facteurs influents dans leur contexte, et d’autre part, mettre en place de nouvelles structures sociales à travers l’élargissement de la base syndicale et la négociation d'un nouvel accord collectif. Ces résultats peuvent être considérés comme des composantes émergentes d'une implantation syndicale réussie, que les participant/e/s conçoivent principalement en termes de niveau élevé de syndicalisation, d’engagement solidaire des travailleurs/ses, de connaissance par celles/ceux-ci de leurs droits, de mise en place d’un accord collectif, et d'amélioration des conditions de travail. L'étude conclut principalement, d'une part, qu'une approche relationnelle de la réalité sociale est nécessaire pour comprendre la mobilisation des acteurs/rices et la signification pour elles/eux des contradictions institutionnelles. D’autre part, la mobilisation des ressources et les capacités stratégiques ont été des dimensions clés de leur agence. Enfin, cette agence bien qu’insérée dans des conditions structurelles contraignantes a pu, dans une certaine mesure, réaliser un changement institutionnel.