Motivation and sustained participation in the online crowdsourcing community: the moderating role of community commitment

Abstract

Purpose Crowdworkers' sustained participation is critical to the success and sustainability of the online crowdsourcing community. However, this issue has not received adequate attention in the information systems research community. This study seeks to understand the formation of crowdworker sustained participation in the online crowdsourcing community. Design/methodology/approach The research model was empirically tested using online survey data from 212 crowdworkers in a leading online crowdsourcing community in China. Findings The empirical results provide several key findings. First, there are two different types of sustained participation: continuous participation intention (CPI) and increased participation intention (IPI). Second, extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation positively influence crowdworker CPI and IPI. Third, community commitment negatively moderates the effects of extrinsic motivation on CPI and IPI, while it positively moderates the effects of intrinsic motivation on CPI and IPI. Originality/value This study has significant implications for research on online crowdsourcing community and provides practical guidance for formulating persuasive measures to promote crowdworker sustained participation in the community.