The motivational drivers in open innovation web-based platforms: an explorative study

The paper deals with the topic of increasing integration of (external) individuals and companies in (originally internal) innovation processes by means of open innovation web-based platforms (OIPs). A very important issue concerns how to stimulate the users’ participation and the knowledge-sharing inside OIPs. The literature focused on motivations, but a still important open question remains: what are the characteristics of the OIPs and the managerial actions that can be done inside the OIPs (i.e. the drivers for motivations) to enhance these motiva-tions? We examine the interactions among specific drivers for enhancing specific motivations to collaborate and innovate. The methodology is an empirical qualita-tive analysis of 20 OIPs that led to a cause-effect map of drivers and motivations. The research results identify nine groups of drivers, classify them in three groups and suggest strategies for driving the motivations which could encourage users to play an active role in the OIPs.