Why collaborate? Factors Influencing in Crowdsourcing Ecosystems

Abstract

Many organisations embrace crowdsourcing to enhance innovation, problem-solving and value creation. While crowdsourcing in the past has been limited to just one organisation, crowdsourcing can be enhanced through collaborative practices that include sharing resources and value exchange in a 'crowdsourcing ecosystem'. However, the factors that influence the emergence of a crowdsourcing ecosystem are not yet well understood. To better understand these factors, our paper focuses on the emergence phase of crowdsourcing ecosystems. We conducted a case study of not-for-profit sector collaborative crowdsourcing projects to identify the internal and external influencing factors. We identify four major categories – preparedness, challenges, scope, and risks, along with 23 sub-categories. We believe our findings might be helpful for scholars and practitioners regarding the effective design of collaborative initiatives for crowdsourcing.