Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is a process by which unofficial, distributed groups of individuals (the “crowd”) voluntarily contribute solutions in response to an open call issued by an individual or organization (the crowdsourcer). The term crowdsourcing was coined by Jeff Howe in 2006. Continuing the efforts to conceptualize this phenomenon, Enrique Estellés-Arolas and Fernando González-Ladrón-de-Guevara (2012; see also, Brabham, 2008) featured the participative dynamics that can be evoked by the source:

Crowdsourcing can be used to accomplish a specific task (microwork), create knowledge (“wisdom of the crowd”), vote as a group (crowdvoting), or initiate financial support within the community (crowdfunding). Whether the call asks the crowd to rate a new theme or logo for a brand or to share updates and information during a disaster, crowdsourcing provides a forum for democratic, inexpensive conversations with multiple voices and perspectives within the digital sphere.

While initially conducted offline, advances in communication technologies have expanded opportunities for crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing emerged as companies asked their customers, loyal brand enthusiasts, and influencers about an issue facing the brand in question. The interaction between the companies and these stakeholders is dynamic and occurs in real time through online forums and platforms. Participation through these interactions can provide financial or online reputation benefits for the user (extrinsic rewards) or help the user feel connected and part of the social online community (intrinsic rewards). With the emergence of new tools to communicate directly with audiences, this phenomenon is breaking down the barriers in time and location. Companies can not only have a dialogue with these audiences but can also monitor their keyword searches with specific research techniques, such as data mining, use of Web analytics software to measure time each person spent on site, and social media monitoring software programs to create databases for monitory conversations on the topics sourced.

Crowdsourcing provides advantages to both crowd and crowdsourcer. The crowd enjoys the extrinsic and intrinsic benefits noted above, and the crowdsourcer obtains inexpensive assistance from a wide network. In some cases the input from [Page 233]the crowd can be superior to input from focus groups and formal work groups because of the relatively anonymous, nonjudgmental format of the discussion. The focus in crowdsourcing remains on the problem, not on the individuals suggesting the solutions.

Among the concerns about crowdsourcing is the nonrandom nature of the crowd. Internet use is high in most countries but is not universal. On some platforms (e.g., Amazon's Mechanical Turk), low-income individuals from third world nations are more likely to participate, while in others (e.g., iStockphoto), the crowd can be highly trained professionals. Crowdsourcers must consider the fit of the likely responder to the goals of the organization when constructing and locating a call. The participation of many low-income individuals for low pay also raises ethical issues, in spite of the voluntary nature of the activity. Implicit participation, in which the crowd is unaware of their contributions, is viewed as an invasion of privacy issue.

...