Motivating participation in online innovation communities

Understanding what motivates participation in online innovation communities is now possible given the recent explosion of opportunities for joining such communities. This article reports on the results of a survey of participants in a specific online innovation community to characterise and find correlations between motivation and participation styles. An analysis of the survey results show: the reasons for joining collective innovation communities are not always the same as the reason for continuing to participate; primary motivations for participation are consistent with previous studies; intrinsic motivations rated higher than extrinsic; and the participants that are passionate about the online community are either new members, < 1 month, or long standing members, > 6 months. This study of collective intelligence in online innovation communities reveals that while the community is encouraged in the transition from passive visitors to active members, the technical and organisational aspects of the design processes are managed by employed