Role of Relational Mechanisms in Crowdsourcing Governance: An Interpretive Analysis

Despite the increasing popularity of crowdsourcing, there is a lack of empirical research on appropriate governance mechanisms, particularly in a non-profit context. The alignment of stakeholder motivations in non-profit crowdsourcing initiatives is often unique and challenging. A better understanding of crowdsourcing governance including relational mechanisms, structures and processes for achieving desired outcomes is critical to effectively exploit crowdsourcing potential. This paper reports on findings from an interpretive case study research of a non-profit crowdsourcing initiative within the Australian Newspapers Digitization Project (ANDP). Based on governance mechanisms for IT governance and Open Source Software, the governance mechanisms implemented within ANDP are examined. A combination of proactive and reactive, formal and informal relational mechanisms were found to play a critical role for successful crowdsourcing governance. The findings demonstrate the importance of the role of relational governance mechanisms in crowdsourcing governance and reinforce the importance of inclusive stakeholder participation and communication.