Networks Within Crowds: Investigating the Formation of Multidimensional and Multilevel Networks in Online Crowdsourcing

• In Event: Time, Space, and Organizing

Abstract

Employing the collective knowledge of online crowds to generate creative ideas has received a great deal of attention among scholars. This article joins this stream of literature by studying the creation of multidimensional and multilevel networks in the context of Stitchly, an online crowdsourcing platform. By analyzing 20 serial successful designers and 68 artist designs and their ties within and across levels using exponential random graph models (ERGMs) for multilevel networks, the current study shows that specific within-level network configurations shape the formation of cross-level relations. In addition, design expertise plays an important role in creating the ties between individual designers and submitted designs. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Authors

• Yu Xu, U of Southern California

• Yao Sun, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Larry Zhiming Xu, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, U of Southern California

• Peter Monge, U of Southern California

• Janet Fulk, U of Southern California

• Alessandro Lomi, U of Southern California