"Winners, Losers, and Non-Participants in Innovation Contests - Motivation, Creativity, and Skills (WITHDRAWN)"

Abstract

Based on the componential model of creativity we investigate differences between participants and non-participants of crowd innovation contests and between successful and unsuccessful participants. Analyzing an innovation contest performed by a German car manufacturer via an open call to a crowd of 254 individuals, we find that successful participants show significantly higher levels of task skills and extrinsic motivation than non- successful participants and non-participants. However, they obtain no higher levels of intrinsic motivation and creativity-relevant processes relative to these groups. Interestingly, non-participants differ significantly from unsuccessful participants with respect to exactly these two dimensions. Hence, while intrinsic motivation and creativity-relevant processes act as preconditions of participation, it is task skills and extrinsic motivation, which characterize individuals with superior creative contributions. Our findings contradict the current understanding of contribution quality in crowd innovation contests by revealing extrinsic motivation and task skills as its drivers. Further, our results extend the current body of literature on participation by showing that not only intrinsic motivation, but also creativity-relevant processes act as determinants. Both findings challenge the widely assumed efficiency of participants’ self-selection, calling for fine-grained research and implying careful choice of crowds and management of innovation contests.