Problem experience, crowdsourcing design, and the quality of crowd-generated problem statements
Susanne Beck | Information Systems Management & Analytics Group de la Warwick Business School (Reino Unido)
16/07/2025 12:00
Sala Descubre/Online Teams. Edificio 8E. Acceso J - 4ª Planta | Universitat Politècnica de València. 46022
Seminario externo a cargo de Susanne Beck, Assistant Professor en el Information Systems Management & Analytics Group de la Warwick Business School (Reino Unido). El seminario se celebrará en la Sala Descubre y en Teams.
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Abstract: Crowdsourcing can be used not only to solve but also to formulate problems for strategic innovation. Yet, crowdsourced problem statements often lack structure and novelty. We investigate the role of crowd members’ problem experience and benefits of design interventions. Our experiment in the context of medical research shows that contributors with problem experience formulate more novel problem statements, complementing prior evidence on the benefits of experience in problem solving. Providing participants with a map of the problem domain has no benefits. Pre-structured templates improve problem structure, especially for individuals without experience in problem formulation. However, templates also reduce the length of problem statements, reducing novelty. We contribute to the literature on strategic problem formulation as well as research on the opportunities – and challenges – of crowdsourcing.
Short bio: Dr. Susanne Beck is an Assistant Professor in the Information Systems Management & Analytics Group at Warwick Business School. Before joining WBS, she was senior researcher at Copenhagen Business School and the Open Innovation in Science (OIS) Center in Vienna. Her main research interest is the management and organization of scientific knowledge production and open innovation.
In her research projects, Susanne investigates multilevel antecedents, consequences, and contingencies of involving external knowledge actors such as crowds in scientific research, organizational design for inter- and transdisciplinary scientific collaborations, and the transformative potential of AI and digital technologies to enable novel ways of organizing scientific knowledge production. By employing quantitative (e.g., lab and field experiments, surveys, conjoint designs, archival data) and qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, longitudinal case studies), her work aims to enhance both scientific productivity and societal impact. Her work has received several awards including from the Academy of Management, Industry & Innovation, PDMA JPIM Research Forum, European Academy of Management, and the R&D Management conference.
Moreover, Susanne is strongly committed to the scientific community: besides being elected Representative-at-Large of the Technology and Innovation Management (TIM) division of the Academy of Management, she co-organizes the annual Open Innovation in Science (OIS) Research Conference which attracts 100+ participants from across multiple disciplines every year. She has also coordinated multiple large international and interdisciplinary collaborative publications with up to 50 co-authors, has been invited to give keynote speeches at international events, and served as a lead editor for a Special Issue in Industry and Innovation.
Microsoft Teams
Id. de reunión: 360 444 157 138 6
Código de acceso: Gr9X2Br9
