SUPERVISOR: Petra RIEFLER

PROJECT ASSIGNED TO: KUNESCH Caroline

Addressing global sustainability challenges, such as climate change or deforestation, requires innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approaches (IPCC, 2023; Howard-Grenville & Spengler, 2022). This doctoral research investigates how crowdsourcing—an emerging participatory method that leverages collective intelligence—can serve as a mechanism for tackling these grand challenges. By integrating insights from management, psychology, and sustainable development, the research focuses on understanding individual motivation to contribute to such crowdsourcing campaigns, particularly in the Global South. The overarching research question guiding this work is: "How can individuals be motivated to contribute to crowdsourcing projects addressing the grand challenges of our time?"

Grand challenges, characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and evaluativity, demand coordinated global efforts (George et al., 2016; Ferraro et al., 2015). Crowdsourcing, defined as “a participative online activity in which individuals or organizations propose tasks to a heterogeneous group via an open call” (Estellés-Arolas & Guevara, 2012, p. 198), has demonstrated potential in generating innovative solutions by engaging large, diverse audiences (Kokshagina, 2022; Diriker et al., 2022). However, its success critically depends on the motivation of individual participants (Acar, 2019). The doctoral project thus contributes to filling the knowledge gap on how to effectively design and implement crowdsourcing campaigns that inspire engagement, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This PhD thesis is embedded in the FFG funded research project DeFree – Deforestation Free Commodities, which aims to investigate traceability by the combination of satellite data & crowdsourcing application to empower smallholders to continue providing commodities to the EU in conformity with the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). DeFree focuses on cocoa and coffee in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda as test cases. The doctoral thesis contributes to the DeFree project by investigating the crowdsourcing aspect.

Paper I: Motivation for Crowdsourcing—A Systematic Literature Review

The first study systematically reviews existing literature on individual motivation for crowdsourcing initiatives, applying the lens of the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Using a robust search strategy, this paper identifies key trends, theoretical frameworks, and gaps in the literature, offering a comprehensive foundation for future research.

Paper II: Understanding Motivation for Crowdsourcing in the Global South—An Experimental Study

The second paper delves into the motivational dynamics of participants in crowdsourcing campaigns for grand challenges in the Global South. Conducting a field experiment in Côte d’Ivoire, it examines the effects of sustainability and AI-related framings, as well as financial incentives, on individuals' willingness to engage in crowdsourcing campaigns addressing deforestation. Grounded in self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), the study investigates five dimensions of motivation and explores how contextual factors influence participation. Findings are expected to contribute to open innovation literature by highlighting the nuances of organizing effective crowdsourcing initiatives in diverse socio-cultural settings.

Paper III: Crowdsourcing Through the Lens of Robust Action

The third paper situates crowdsourcing within the robust action framework, emphasizing its participatory architecture as a mechanism for addressing grand challenges (Etzion et al., 2017; Ferraro et al., 2015). Using case studies from Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, this research explores how robust action principles can enhance the design and impact of crowdsourcing campaigns (Porter et al., 2020). By integrating insights from transdisciplinary collaborations, the study contributes to management literature and offers actionable recommendations for policy and practice.

This interdisciplinary dissertation aligns with the broader goals of sustainable development and bridges theoretical and practical gaps in management and psychology. By focusing on the Global South, it also addresses critical gaps in regional representation in management research (Howard-Grenville & Spengler, 2022).

References

  1. Acar, O. A. (2019). Motivations and solution appropriateness in crowdsourcing challenges for innovation. Research Policy, 48(8), 103716.
  2. Diriker, D., Boons, M., Tuertscher, P., & Porter, A. J. (2022). Taking on Grand Challenges Through Collaborative Crowdsourcing. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.
  3. Estellés-Arolas, E., & Guevara, F. G. (2012). Towards an Integrated Crowdsourcing Definition. Journal of Information Science, 38.
  4. Etzion, D., Gehman, J., Ferraro, F., & Avidan, M. (2017). Unleashing sustainability transformations through robust action. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 167–178.
  5. Ferraro, F., Etzion, D., & Gehman, J. (2015). Tackling Grand Challenges Pragmatically: Robust Action Revisited. Organization Studies, 36(3), 363–390.
  6. George, G., Howard-Grenville, J., Joshi, A., & Tihanyi, L. (2016). Understanding and Tackling Societal Grand Challenges through Management Research. Academy of Management Journal, 59(6), 1880–1895.
  7. Howard-Grenville, J., & Spengler, J. (2022). Surfing the Grand Challenges Wave in Management Scholarship. Organizing for Societal Grand Challenges, 279–295.
  8. IPCC, 2023: Sections. Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report.
  9. Kokshagina, O. (2022). Open Covid-19: Organizing an extreme crowdsourcing campaign to tackle grand challenges. R&D Management, 52(2), 206–219.
  10. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness.
  11. Porter, A. J., Tuertscher, P., & Huysman, M. (2020). Saving Our Oceans: Scaling the Impact of Robust Action Through Crowdsourcing. Journal of Management Studies, 57(2), 246–286. doi.org/10.1111/joms.12515