Abstract: Trade union practice, as a "functional supplementary mechanism" in corporate management, plays a significant role in influencing workers' behavior and performance. However, existing studies fail to address the organizational emotional rupture and the lack of rights protection entities for workers in the new forms of employment under the digital era. Theoretically, there is a need to reconstruct the conceptual connotation, configuration, and measurement tools of platform-based trade union practice and to delve deeper into its underlying mechanisms. This study aims to examine platform-based trade union practice against the backdrop of the digital era and platform algorithmic practices, focusing on three aspects: First, to explore the conceptual connotation and typology of platform-based trade union practice and to develop measurement tools; Second, to investigate the influence mechanisms of two forms of platform-based trade union practice—"caring" and "participating"—on the behavior, abilities, and performance of workers in new forms of employment. This will be achieved through a dynamic perspective using "emotional cognition" and "relational cognition" as the analytical framework. Third, to examine the impact pathways of the coordinated matching of these two practice configurations on the value output of workers in new forms of employment. From the perspective of management studies, this study seeks to uncover the mechanisms and boundaries of platform-based trade union practices. It will pave the way for further research in this area, extend the frontiers of the discipline, and construct a theoretical framework of trade union practices that aligns with the characteristics of the digital era. Moreover, it will lay a foundation for establishing the "Chinese experience" in adapting labor relations in the new era.

Key words: Chinese context, trade union practices, platform economy, caring, performance