CONTRIBUTION AND PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATION COMMUNITIES: A CLASSIFICATION OF INCENTIVES AND MOTIVES

• Published in: International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM) Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 247 - 262
• Main Author: JANZIK, LARS
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: World Scientific Publishing Company 01.09.2010; World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd
• Series: International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM)
• Subjects: Classification; Communities; Community; Development; Drivers; Flow; Incentives; Information technology; Innovation; Internet; Management; motivation; On-line systems; Online; online communities; Social behaviour; Social change; Technology; Technology products; user innovation; Web 2.0; online communities; Web 2.0; user innovation; motivation; Flow
• ISSN: 0219-8770; 1793-6950; 1793-6950
• DOI: 10.1142/S0219877010002021

Online communities (OCs) have become an important source for identifying the needs and problems of users, supporting companies in innovation. This development was fostered by IT/Internet technologies and has also been strengthened through recent social changes in user behavior within "Web 2.0." In contrast to its growing relevance, user innovation activities within OCs are still underexplored. Companies that wish to successfully utilize and integrate innovative OC members into their NPD process need a better understanding of the drivers and changes of user motivation in such communities. In this paper we analyze, categorize and integrate different motivational factors that play a major role here and develop several propositions concerning motivation within innovation communities.