Collective Intelligence and Collaboration in a Networked Society

• Applicant: Dr. Christoph Riedl
• Subject Area: Accounting and Finance
• Term: from 2011 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 201124560

Organizations, both public and private, are increasingly trying to involve large groups of users/citizens into collective decision making and problem solving activities. This approach is used to address issues of fundamental importance such as developing innovative products and services, or finding effective solutions to counter global warming. This area is termed „collective intelligence“ (CI). Collective creation and decision making promises huge benefits, including higher acceptance rates for innovations/new policies and better decisions through the integration of diverse contributors. The aim of this research project is to increase our understanding how large groups of individuals should be deliberately organized and governed in collective intelligence settings. Specifically, this research wants to investigate how large, distributed groups can be enabled not only to contribute independent information but to actively work together. The proposed research project will focus on empirical experiments in a real-world problem solving setting in the form of innovation competitions. The resulting insight into the design of collective intelligence mechanisms would have both, business and social implications, for example, in the area of e-participation initiatives.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Karim Lakhani, Ph.D.