How Enterprises Engage Generation Z in Crowdsourcing: Differences Between Poland and Great Britain

Abstract

Companies are increasingly using crowdsourcing to gain the knowledge, experience and creativity of a given community, commonly referred to as ‘crowd wisdom’. The use of crowdsourcing on a large scale is possible thanks to the space created by the Internet and social media. This space is also an environment in which the digital Generation Z, an important partner for businesses, now comprising more than a third of the world’s population, is eager to spend time. Already recognized as revolutionizing for economies and markets, this generation is the most technologically advanced of all cohorts. Previously, older generations have passed on knowledge and experience to younger generations, but now we are faced with the opposite: for the first time, the youngest generation is an authority and has a wealth of knowledge that other generations do not have. The aim of the article is to identify and assess the factors that determine the involvement of Generation Z representatives in solving enterprise problems in the form of crowdsourcing and to indicate the impact of gender and place of residence of Generation Z representatives on their involvement in this activity. Empirical studies conducted in Poland and Great Britain in 2023 using the CAWI technique and a questionnaire helped to achieve the objective of this study. The results of the survey allow to indicate the most important motives for engagement of Generation Z in crowdsourcing in both countries. Relationships between the above-mentioned motives and gender and the place of residence of members of Generation Z were also identified. The conclusions of the study are only an extension of theoretical knowledge, but also implications for managers that want to encourage members of Generation Z to cooperate on the basis of crowdsourcing.