CROWD SOURCING- THE FUTURE MODEL FOR ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

There is a lot of buzz going on around “Crowd sourcing” lately a term coined by wired journalist Jeff Howe in his article “The Rise of crowd sourcing”. But what is crowd sourcing all about? In Howe’s own words “ Technological advances is happening in everything from product design software to digital video cameras which are breaking down the cost barriers that once separated amateurs from professionals. Hobbyists, part-timers, and dabblers suddenly have a market for their efforts, as smart companies in industries as disparate as pharmaceuticals and television discover ways to tap the latent of talent of the crowd. The labor isn’t always free, but it costs a lot less than paying traditional employees. Its not outsourcing; its crowd sourcing. This definition illustrates where the crowd sourcing phenomenon is coming from, but it does not create clear boundaries for what should be considered crowd sourcing and what should not. Does crowd sourcing necessarily involves something commercial? Can we classify social networks and collaborative production platforms as crowd sourcing? Probably there is no definite answer for this question as the phenomenon of crowd sourcing is evolving and reshaping itself day by day.