Crowdsourcing and the evolution of a business ecosystem

Abstract

This chapter explores a specific implementation of ideation-oriented crowdsourcing. In the follow-up of previous studies, we consider that ideation crowdsourcing does not necessarily mobilize highly skilled technical competences, but rather the ability of individuals to generate new ideas. Typical applications of ideation or creative crowdsourcing are artistic design activities. One can thus wonder about the role of creative crowdsourcing in the innovation process, upstream from the problem-solving steps. In this paper, we address this issue within a particular context: the evolution of an ecosystem based on an ICT platform. This chapter relies on a case study: Parkeon, a company specialized in the development and manufacture of multi-space parking meters, ran two crowdsourcing competitions in parallel, designed to uncover new ideas for services based on the use of multi-space meters. The case study highlights the convergence between certain conditions for the success of crowdsourcing and the factors contributing to the development of a BE: openness and modularity. Furthermore, it accentuates the role of users, who become the providers of new service concepts, and confirms the central role of the company leader for the development of the BE. Last, we discuss the not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome that can be encountered when crowdsourcing is implemented.