The Host Country Effect in the Platform Economy : Insights from Meal Delivery in Germany and Austria

This article uses the case study of Lieferando, the market leader in Germany and Austria, to illustrate how host country effects influence the organization of work mediated through online food delivery platforms. Contrary to expectations that platform companies would disseminate standardized, global models of gig work organization, Lieferando initially employed its couriers under standard employment contracts in both countries. However, more recently, the company has adopted divergent employment strategies: in Germany, deliveries have been shifted to subcontractors, while in Austria, riders are now offered free service contracts ( freie Dienstverträge ) instead of employment contracts. These developments originate from host country effects and reflect the influence of distinct national legal frameworks, institutional traditions and platform strategies, which have been redirected in the context of Prosus’s acquisition of Lieferando’s parent company, Just Eat Takeaway. Despite strong traditions of employee representation and collective bargaining in both countries, recent developments highlight the vulnerability of platform work to regulatory loopholes, capital-driven restructuring and declining labour standards.