The role of information technology for building virtual environments to integrate crowdsourcing mechanisms into the open innovation process

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2017.12.020Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Discusses management mechanisms to support crowdsourcing for open innovation;

  • How companies are working in the practice of the crowdsourcing;

  • How IT (Information Technology) influences the way knowledge is created;

  • How IT can influence the virtualization of R & D.

Abstract

Information technology enabled the development of the virtual environment, allowing collaboration with external agents and leveraging the open innovation process. Crowdsourcing is an example of this new environment, using collaboration to enhance capabilities and relationships and as a way to accelerate innovation. However, companies are still searching for the best way to apply the crowdsourcing to internal processes to create value. Based on this context, the general objective of this research is to analyze how Brazilian companies have integrated crowdsourcing mechanisms into the open innovation process. To achieve the objectives, case studies conducted in two Brazilian organizations from different sectors were applied. The results contribute to a better understanding of the adopted crowdsourcing mechanism and the adequate technological aspects that enable the operation of the open innovation process.

Introduction

Organizations today are interested in exploring social media as a way to improve the trajectory from innovation to commercialization. Intensive adoption of the internet changed the behaviour of communication and relationships, and companies are becoming more and more open to novelty and innovation. Customers can engage in product development processes, playing an active role in co-creation in many different ways (Berthon et al., 2007). Internet crowdsourcing is emerging as an electronic platform that can represent a virtual space for the development of capabilities and relationships, and as a means to accelerate innovation, new management practices and economic development. It can also be considered as an alternative way to work in mass collaboration (Howe, 2006; Steelman et al., 2014, PRPIĆ et al., 2015). Giving this context, the real challenge is how to use collaboration in order to achieve better results and improvement of internal processes, productivity and performance in business. Palacios et al. (2015) discuss emerging trends in crowdsourcing design, mechanics of organization, and form and motivation of the crowd. Mladenow et al. (2014) mention the need for more in-depth research on how company social crowd integration will occur in order to foster the open innovation paradigm on the internet.

Addressing this research gap, the following research question was formulated to conduct this study:

How do companies integrate the concepts related to crowdsourcing for open innovation and information technology?

Thus, the study aims to identify and to describe key variables related to crowdsourcing settings adopted by the companies and the integration of these variables into the open innovation process.

The study is divided into the following topics: an approach that underlies the concept of open innovation; the combination of crowdsourcing and open innovation; and the technological aspects that support virtual environments involving crowdsourcing. These three topics are covered in the theory and constitute the base for the development of framework research applied to the case study. Finally, the following topic encompasses the methodological procedure and the discussion of research results.

Section snippets

Theory

Ubiquity is an important characteristic of the internet making it a technology that is capable of aggregating millions of different ideas (Brabham, 2008; Surowiecki, 2005; Tapscott and Ticoll, 2003). Interactivity allows for increased quality in the relationship with customers, creates new paradigms for the design of products/services and enables new coordination mechanisms between organizations and their customers (Dutta and Segev, 1999). In addition, it brings new opportunities for companies

Methodology

We adopted qualitative research for this study's approach to the problem due to the characteristics of the research question to be investigated. The method we chose was a multiple-case study, since, although limited in terms of generalization, it allows us to characterize the context of use of the crowdsourcing platform in the open innovation structural model. Yin (2005) considers it an appropriate method to investigate contemporary, complex phenomena, in the context of real life or when there

Discussion of the results

In this section, we return and evaluate our findings with respect to that concepts and variables as presented in Table 2. As discussed by Chesbrough, 2003a, Chesbrough, 2003b, Chesbrough, 2006, the theory of open innovation corresponds to a number of innovative approaches whose basic element is the innovation made beyond the research and development departments of companies. Open innovation incorporates joint efforts from internal initiatives of an organization and a possible outsourcing or

Conclusion

Open innovation is a paradigm that assumes that organizations can and should use internal and external ideas, and internal and external paths for the market. Building and developing organizational skills and creating multiple structures for open innovation requires a functional structure in the long-term and punctual incentive support in addition to the cooperation among the internal and external concerned parties.

Based on the research question, the cases indicate that the crowdsourcing

Claudia Aparecida de Mattos M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees in Production Engineering from Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo, Brazil and graduate at University Federal of São Carlos (UFSCAR). Nowadays she is a Professor of the Production Engineering Department at FEI University. Her research interests are Information Technology and Business Strategies, Collaboration, Virtual Organization.

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    Claudia Aparecida de Mattos M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees in Production Engineering from Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo, Brazil and graduate at University Federal of São Carlos (UFSCAR). Nowadays she is a Professor of the Production Engineering Department at FEI University. Her research interests are Information Technology and Business Strategies, Collaboration, Virtual Organization.

    Kumiko Oshio Kissimoto M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees in Production Engineering from Polytechnic School of University of São Paulo, Brazil and graduate at Presbiteria University Mackenzie. Nowadays she is a Professor of the Production Engineering Department at FEI University and at ESEG (Escola Superior de Engenharia e Gestão). Her research interests are Information Technology and Business Strategies; Collaboration; Open Innovation; Virtual Organization.

    Fernando José Barbin Laurindo Full Professor - B.S. Degree in Production Engineering and B.S. Degree in Law from USP, MBA from FGV-SP, MSc and PhD in Production Engineering from USP, Post-doctoral in Ingegneria Gestionale from Politecnico di Milano. Head of Production Engineering Department (USP). Research areas: Business Strategy, IT Strategy and Planning, Competitive Intelligence.

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