ABSTRACT

Solvers’ participation is essential for successful implementation of crowdsourcing contests for problem solving (CCPS). Many efforts have been made to investigate solvers’ various participation behaviours in CCPS. Whether or not a solver will conduct a behaviour is the result of decision making. However, to our knowledge, few studies concentrated on solvers’ participation from a decision process perspective and little is known about the factors that influence the decisions that solvers are likely to make. This study aims to develop a framework for demonstrating solvers’ decisions and their relations, thereafter identify the factors that affect each of decision makings. It does so through the qualitative structured interviews conducted with solvers in a crowdsourcing platform. The interviews capture four major interrelated solvers’ decisions that are decisions of participation in CCPS, platform selection, contest selection and determination of effort level, respectively. Moreover, the factors including solvers’ motives, solvers’ individual characteristics and incentives, and their roles in each of solvers’ decision makings are presented. The findings improve the understanding of solvers’ participation in CCPS from a decision process perspective. With the further comprehending of factors that affect solvers’ decision makings, this study provides practical implications for crowdsourcing platforms to improve their services for solvers.

摘要

解决者的参与对于成功实施解决问题的众包竞赛 (CCPS) 至关重要。已经做出了许多努力来调查求解者在 CCPS 中的各种参与行为。求解者是否会做出某种行为是决策的结果。然而，据我们所知，很少有研究从决策过程的角度关注求解者的参与，而且对影响求解者可能做出的决策的因素知之甚少。本研究旨在开发一个框架来展示解决者的决策及其关系，然后确定影响每个决策制定的因素。它是通过在众包平台上与求解者进行的定性结构化访谈来实现的。访谈捕获了四个主要相互关联的解决者的决策，分别是参与 CCPS、平台选择、竞赛选择和确定努力水平的决定。此外，还介绍了解决者的动机、解决者的个人特征和激励因素，以及他们在每个解决者决策中的作用。这些发现从决策过程的角度提高了对解决者参与 CCPS 的理解。随着对影响求解者决策的因素的进一步理解，本研究为众包平台改善其为求解者提供的服务提供了实际意义。介绍了解决者的个人特征和动机，以及他们在每个解决者决策中的作用。这些发现从决策过程的角度提高了对解决者参与 CCPS 的理解。随着对影响求解者决策的因素的进一步理解，本研究为众包平台改善其为求解者提供的服务提供了实际意义。介绍了解决者的个人特征和动机，以及他们在每个解决者决策中的作用。这些发现从决策过程的角度提高了对解决者参与 CCPS 的理解。随着对影响求解者决策的因素的进一步理解，本研究为众包平台改善其为求解者提供的服务提供了实际意义。