User Roles and Contributions in Innovation-Contest Communities

Author List: F™ller, Johann; Hutter, Katja; Hautz, Julia; Matzler, Kurt;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2014, Volume 31, Issue 1, Page 273-308.
Organizations increasingly initiate Internet-based innovation-contest communities through which individuals can interact and contribute to the innovation process. To successfully manage these communities, organizations need to understand what roles members assume, how they communicate and vary in their contribution behavior. In this exploratory study, we investigate the heterogeneous roles of contest participants based on an international innovation-contest community. We identify six user types associated with various behavioral contribution patterns by using cluster and social network analysis. The six user types further differ in their communicative content and contribution quality. Our paper contributes to a better theoretical understanding of distinctive user types in innovation-contest communities, their role in the community, and their contribution to the success of innovation contests in the era of social software. From a managerial perspective, the study provides guidance for contest platform design and appropriate reward structures.
Keywords: co-creation;innovation contests;online communities;user contribution;user roles
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#116 0.165 research study influence effects literature theoretical use understanding theory using impact behavior insights examine influences mechanisms specifically context perspective findings
#45 0.151 community communities online members participants wikipedia social member knowledge content discussion collaboration attachment communication law virtual membership structures forms activities
#218 0.145 role roles gender differences women significant play age men plays sample differ played vary understand critical greater implications relatively offered
#284 0.112 users user new resistance likely benefits potential perspective status actual behavior recognition propose user's social associated existing base using acceptance
#238 0.110 shared contribution groups understanding contributions group contribute work make members experience phenomenon largely central key common especially major conceptualizing study
#254 0.084 level levels higher patterns activity results structures lower evolution significant analysis degree data discussed implications stable cluster exist relationships identify