Communications of the ACM
IST Research Helps Businesses Optimize Benefits of Crowdsourcing
Credit: Banu Aydogan
Penn State University researchers are studying how crowdsourcing processes can be optimized so companies can match the right crowd to the right job. A conventional use of crowdsourcing is the completion of routine tasks such as tagging images, identifying handwriting, and improving search results. However, organizations recently have used crowdsourcing to complete non-routine, complex tasks such as generating advertising, making decisions about anticipated market trends, generating product ideas, and solving complex problems.
Social media has leveled "the playing field between customers and companies, and crowdsourcing is one way companies are leveraging social media for competitive advantage," says Penn State researcher Lee Erickson.
Crowdsourcing previously has focused on identifying the broad uses of the crowd by organizations, but research has been less clear about which needs require which crowds with specific skills, experiences, and knowledge. "For companies to extract value from crowdsourcing initiatives, they must match the right crowd to the specific organizational need," the researchers say.
They note organizations also are leveraging both external and internal crowds, attempting to benefit from the diversity and the sheer numbers in the crowd.
From Penn State University
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