The Dark Side of 'The Sharing Economy'

The ''sharing economy'' is supposed to empower workers and usher in a new era of job satisfaction. Can it deliver? The answer lies in understanding just what this new work regime is replacing. And the answer to that can be found in the title of a new book called The Vanishing American Corporation: Navigating the Hazards of a New Economy. Author Jerry Davis, Professor of Management at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, joins us on the episode to detail the transformation of the American workplace. He's concerned about the rise of the ostensibly independent worker, driven by ventures such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Facebook and LinkedIn. The traditional corporation, he says, provided job security, health insurance and an open career path – all keys to a vibrant middle class. What does the modern-day ''gig'' economy have to offer in its absence? Might it be leading to even more social inequality?