MOTIVATION ORIENTATIONS IN INNOVATION CONTESTS: WHY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE

Innovation contests allow companies to involve the general public or specific target groups in solving innovation problems. The increasing importance of innovation contests suggests the need for further research on why people become involved in non-compulsory innovation activities, such as innovation contests. The purpose of this paper was to examine which motivation orientations explain such participation and the quality of the ideas submitted. Drawing on motivation theories, this paper discusses the links between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and problem-solver participation as well as solution quality. Our findings suggest that different levels of participation are driven by different motivation orientations. Low performers participated in contests based on a rational understanding of the extrinsic benefits and perceived effort required, as did non-participants. However, such extrinsic reasoning is insufficient for high-performer motivation; high performers participate in the task due to its intrinsic value. These findings have important implications for both researchers and practitioners.

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