Claude Guittard

Crowdsourcing and the Evolution of a Business Ecosystem

This chapter explores a specific implementation of ideation-oriented crowdsourcing. In the follow-up of previous studies, we consider that ideation crowdsourcing does not necessarily mobilize highly skilled technical competences, but rather the ability of individuals to generate new ideas. Typical applications of ideation or creative crowdsourcing are artistic design activities. One can thus wonder about the role of creative crowdsourcing in the innovation process, upstream from the problem-solving steps. In this paper, we address this issue within a particular context: the evolution of an ecosystem based on an ICT platform. This chapter relies on a case study: Parkeon, a company specialized in the development and manufacture of multi-space parking meters, ran two crowdsourcing competitions in parallel, designed to uncover new ideas for services based on the use of multi-space meters. The case study highlights the convergence between certain conditions for the success of crowdsourcing and the factors contributing to the development of a BE: openness and modularity. Furthermore, it accentuates the role of users, who become the providers of new service concepts, and confirms the central role of the company leader for the development of the BE. Last, we discuss the not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome that can be encountered when crowdsourcing is implemented.

Knowledge management in a French research community: a case study of GeCSO congress Knowledge management in a French research community: a case study of GeCSO congress

Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to present the state of the art of a rising French research community on knowledge management, who organized during the past four years, a French speaking congress (GeCSO). Interests in knowledge management (KM) come from various disciplines: economy, social, engineering. These interests are not often linked. Within the firms, KM practices vary a lot depending on national cultures and on activity sectors. However, one can identify a potential symmetry between the diversity of practices and the partitioning of scientific approaches. Design/methodology/approach – In order to synthesize the different approaches in KM, the authors studied the 62 papers published in the first three conferences. To have a first representation of the diversity, they analyzed the keywords that were used: among 173 keywords used by the authors, eight keywords represent 27 per cent of the total amount. Findings – Three main dimensions which emerged from the articles are analysed: the practical dimension, the epistemological point of view, and the intention to define a theory of action. Originality/value – KM is an emerging domain, especially in French culture. This paper can be seen as a first foundation of the domain, and also a manifesto to develop interdisciplinary research on this topic.