The dynamics of innovation contest experience: An integrated framework from the customer’s perspective
Résumé
Getting customers to actively participate in company-sponsored innovation contests is increasingly crucial. While much of the extant research on innovation contests is understandably focused on company benefits, relatively less is known about the innovation contest experience (ICE) from a customer perspective. This research extends the innovation contest literature by developing an integrated framework for evaluating contest experiences. Based on a mixed method approach, this study investigates the role of an understudied variable, namely perceived challenge (PC) of the innovation task, and its influence on ICE. Results indicate that PC has a direct positive (quadratic) influence on ICE, that PC negatively moderates the effect of extrinsic motivation on ICE as well as the effect of intrinsic motivation on ICE. This study also reveals an interaction effect between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, showing a moderating effect of extrinsic motivation on the link between intrinsic motivation and ICE. Both short-term and long-term outcomes of ICE are modeled and tested. Results indicate that a positive ICE leads to a greater customer willingness to participate in subsequent contests and to an enhanced company reputation for innovation.