HelpTube : En studie av motivation bakom Crowdsourcing med SDT & Motivationsfunktioner för ideellt arbete som förklaringsmodeller

Sammanfattning: Abstract Title: HelpTube: A Study on the Motivation behind Crowdsourcing with STD & Motivation Functions for Volunteer Work as Explanatory Models. Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration; C-level. Authors: Honey H. Shahraki & Linnea M. Pira Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2013- June Background: In recent years the trend and usage of social networking has increased significantly amongst individuals as well as businesses. YouTube is one example of the social environment in which the public has an opportunity to act as both consumer and supplier. Prior research in this field emphasizes the importance of understanding individuals’ incentive to share their knowledge. Thus, what are the underlying objectives behind individuals’ actions and willingness to contribute to the accumulated knowledge? Aim of the study: The aim of the study is to build on prior research in the field of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and Clary et als (1998) research on functional motivation for volunteering. Subsequently, we then approach these manners in a crowsourcing context by measuring why YouTube users want to contribute to cumulative knowledge through a social media network. Method: This study is based on a quantitative and deductive approach. Grounded on the indices of Self-Determination-Theory (Aspiration Index) and Functional Motivation Theory of Volunteering (Volunteer Function Inventory) we assembled six different categories. These constituted our online survey of a questionnaire containing 18 questions. The questionnaire was then designed in Google forms and sent out to YouTube users creating tutorials for various software programs. Further, the questionnaire responses were processed in the IV result and analysis chapter, where a statistical inquiry consisting of Factor analysis, Correlation analysis and Cluster analysis was made. Results & Analysis: The processing of the study’s result and analysis indicated that the YouTube-respondents were in line with both the Self-Determination Theory as well as Clary et al’s (1998) theory of the functional motivation for volunteering. The respondents valued each question in different degrees of esteem, for each set of categories that was formed in this study. The questions that the respondents tends to value the most were the following; to help people in need, to grow as a person and obtain different learning experiences, to have fun, to work towards the betterment of society, and to obtain new and different perspectives. The least valued questions for the respondents were the following; monetary rewards, to create tutorials because friends do it, and to escape bad feelings. Further, it can be concluded that the majority of questions in the categories, Personal Growth and Intrinsic Projection are valued most highly by the YouTube respondents. Conclusion: After the result and analysis process, a pattern was observed. The studied respondents exhibited an inclination towards internal motivators. Accordingly, we were able to indetify strong links between the categories; Instrinsic Projection, Personal Growth and Societal Values, and the respondents. This is consistent with the Self-Determination Theory as well as the Functional Motivation Theory for Volunteering. Additionally, we can comment that the studied group on YouTube also fulfills the criterias of the crowdsourcing concept. Future Research: In our opinion there is currently a knowledge gap that needs to be filled, in order to understand and utilize the phenomenon’s full capacity. Questions regarding the underlying motivation of individuals that participate, and engage their time and energy towards a further development of accumulated knowledge, is evidently scarce. Since this study primarily focuses on ascertaining the YouTube users' underlying motives, a proposal for further research can be to apply this model to a different type of network. An additional proposal could be for future researchers to develop or improve the study’s compiled model and thereby achieve more precise answers. Further, we hope that more scholars develop recognition of the Crowdsourcing phenomenon, hence attaining a greater knowledge and contributing organizations with practical tools that they can apply and make use of. Contribution: With the study’s gained knowledge about the participants underlying motivation factors, organizations using this phenomenon could increase the participation-levels and thereby extracting a more reliable source of information. This would help organizations to obtaining an additional channel to reach and enlist the help of consumers worldwide. Keywords: Self-Determination Theory, Functional Volunteer Motivation, Crowdsourcing, Motivation, YouTube, Tutorial.