Big data from customers and non-customers through crowdsourcing, citizen science and crowdfunding

Abstract

Purpose The unprecedented growth in the volume, variety and velocity with which data is generated and collected over the last decade has led to the spread of big data phenomenon. Organizations have become increasingly involved in the collection and analysis of big data to improve their performance. Whereas the focus thus far has mainly been on big data collected from customers, the topic of how to collect data also from those who are not yet customers has been overlooked. A growing means of interacting with non-customers is through crowd-based phenomena, which are therefore examined in this study as a way to further collect big data. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of jointly considering these phenomena under the proposed framework. Design/methodology/approach This study seeks to demonstrate that organizations can collect big data from a crowd of customers and non-customers through crowd-based phenomena such as crowdsourcing, citizen science and crowdfunding. The conceptual analysis conducted in this study produced an integrated framework through which companies can improve their performance. Findings Grounded in the resource-based view, this paper argues that non-customers can constitute a valuable resource insofar as they can be an additional source of big data when participating in crowd-based phenomena. Companies can, in this way, further improve their performance. Originality/value This study advances scientific knowledge of big data and crowd-based phenomena by providing an overview of how they can be jointly applied to further benefit organizations. Moreover, the framework posited in this study is an endeavour to stimulate further analyses of these topics and provide initial suggestions on how organizations can jointly leverage crowd-based phenomena and big data.