A framework for sustaining users participation in non-profit mobile crowdsourcing applications

• Main Author: Farahidayah Mahmud
• Format: text::Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023

Nowadays, mobile devices have increasingly becoming a necessity in people’s daily life. It has significantly changed the way people communicate and perform their day-to-day activities. In line with this scenario, there is also a practice that is gaining more and more attention from mobile devices’ users called crowdsourcing. Amongst the benefits of crowdsourcing is that it can reduce companies’ production cost due to the reduced manpower. However, these can only be attained if sufficient number of contributions is received from the crowd, i.e., sufficient users participation. Due to its nature that relies heavily on users contributions, users participation is one of the main factors that determine the success of an MCA. Two types of crowdsourcing exist; profit and non-profit. The decision to focus on the users participation in non-profit MCA in this research is because sustaining users participation is more challenging and more critical in non-profit crowdsourcing where financial rewards are not usually offered to and not expected by the participants. Although a number of studies related to the factors that influence users participation was found, none of these studies so far leads towards the formation of a framework that can serve as a guide for the developer to consider the factors in developing the MCAs. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a framework that can be used by the developers by extending the research on influencing factors. To do this, literature review and semi-structured interviews with the MCA users were performed. Results were analysed and coded using constant comparison method. Six influencing factors from the literature review and five influencing factors from the interview were found. Factors from both methods were merged to come out with six influencing factors which are; useful information provided, financial impact, reward offered, interaction with others, features of application and self-advancement. Corresponding components were identified to specifically address the influencing factors. The components were bound together to enable them to inter-relate with one another and become the framework. The framework was evaluated using two methods which are expert evaluation and benchmarking with successful non-profit MCAs. Expert evaluation was chosen to assess the suitability of the elements that constitute the framework from the perspective of the software developers who are exposed to crowdsourcing application. Statistical evaluation was performed to identify the reliability of the instrument (questionnaire). Cronbach’s Alpha was used to do this evaluation. With the score of 0.978, the reliability of the instrument used can be concluded as reliable. Benchmarking of successful non-profit MCAs evaluation is an evaluation that used existing successful non-profit MCAs to validate the components that constitute the constructed framework. Two non-profit MCAs which are OpenSignal and Be My Eyes were found as successful non-profit MCAs that fulfill the requirements as successful non-profit MCAs. These two MCAs then were used to identify the extent to which these two MCAs agreed with the components in the framework. Results show ten over eleven for OpenSignal and eight over eleven for Be My Eyes have the components in the framework which conclude that these two MCAs have the majority of the components. It indicates that this framework is relevant and can be used to develop non-profit MCAs that can sustain users participation. As a conclusion, the framework for sustaining users participation in non-profit MCAs is found to be useful as a guideline for the developer to develop an MCA that can sustain users participation.