Exploring the determinants of university students’ contribution intention on crowdsourcing platforms: a value maximization perspective

ABSTRACT

Crowdsourcing is an emerging web-enabled method to gain external expertise and ideas on tasks or projects. Mass contributions from the crowd are the key to the success and effectiveness of crowdsourcing. University students are important potential users and promising sources of contributions in the crowdsourcing context. However, little is known about the factors that shape university students’ intention to participate in this new web frontier. Thus, the current study investigates the determinants of university students’ contribution intention on crowdsourcing platforms. Based on the value-based adoption model (VAM) and crowdsourcing characteristics, this study develops a model to understand the determinants of university students’ intention to contribute ideas and solutions on crowdsourcing platforms. Data collected from 135 university students in Taiwan were tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) method. The results indicate that perceived value and perceived behavioral control are key determinants of university students’ contribution intention on crowdsourcing platforms, and that reputation, perceived enjoyment, task autonomy, and trust are significant factors affecting perceived value. This study contributes to extend the knowledge regarding how to better promote crowdsourcing contributions, as well as how to foster and encourage university students to participate in crowdsourcing activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Crowdsourcing
• value-based adoption model
• motivation theory
• value maximization
• educational use of crowdsourcing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yu-Min Wang

Yu-Min Wang is a Professor in the Department of Information Management at National Chi Nan University, Taiwan. He received his PhD in Information Management from National Sun Yat-sen University. His research interests include knowledge management, IT and educational technology usage, and Internet entrepreneurship education. He has published papers in journals such as Computers & Education, Computers in Human Behavior, Information & Management, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Journal of Information Science, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Psychological Reports, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, among others.

Yi-Shun Wang

Yi-Shun Wang is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Information Management at the National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan. He received his PhD in MIS from National Chengchi University, Taiwan. His current research interests include IS success models, online consumer behavior, knowledge management, IT/IS adoption strategies, and e-learning. He has published papers in journals such as Interactive Learning Environments, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Computers & Education, British Journal of Educational Technology, Information Systems Journal, Information & Management, International Journal of Information Management, Government Information Quarterly, Internet Research, Journal of Educational Computing Research, Information Technology & People, Online Information Review, Computers in Human Behavior, among others. He is currently serving as a Chairman of the Research Discipline of Applied Science Education in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

Yu-Yin Wang

Yu-Yin Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Management at Providence University, Taiwan. She received her PhD in Information Management from National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. Her current research interests include online user behavior, technology upgrade model, and educational technology adoption and success. She has published papers in International Journal of Information Management, Information Technology & People, Internet Research, Interactive Learning Environments, and Behaviour & Information Technology.