Start Date
11-12-2016 12:00 AM
Description
As crowdsourcing contest platforms become more popular, there is a commensurate increase in the number of tasks that are open in a platform at the same time. The simultaneously open tasks within a category compete for the attention of the same pool of solvers. Prior work has recognized that an increase in the number of competing tasks reduces the number of solvers participating in a focal task. However, it is not clear how competing tasks influence solvers’ participation behaviors as well as tasks’ overall solution quality. This research investigates the effects of competing tasks both at the solver and at the task level. We find that more competing tasks lead to solvers participating simultaneously in more tasks, and such multitasking behavior adversely affects a solver’s solution quality to a focal task. Interestingly, the overall solution quality for a focal task is not affected adversely.
Recommended Citation
Mo, Jiahui; Sarkar, Sumit; and Menon, Syam, "Investigating Effects of Competing Tasks on Crowdsourcing Contest Platforms" (2016). ICIS 2016 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2016/Economics/Presentations/4
Investigating Effects of Competing Tasks on Crowdsourcing Contest Platforms
As crowdsourcing contest platforms become more popular, there is a commensurate increase in the number of tasks that are open in a platform at the same time. The simultaneously open tasks within a category compete for the attention of the same pool of solvers. Prior work has recognized that an increase in the number of competing tasks reduces the number of solvers participating in a focal task. However, it is not clear how competing tasks influence solvers’ participation behaviors as well as tasks’ overall solution quality. This research investigates the effects of competing tasks both at the solver and at the task level. We find that more competing tasks lead to solvers participating simultaneously in more tasks, and such multitasking behavior adversely affects a solver’s solution quality to a focal task. Interestingly, the overall solution quality for a focal task is not affected adversely.