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This chapter discusses the phenomenon of online marketplaces for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent and highlights its effect on knowledge creation and innovation through on-demand contract employment and problem solving of scientific challenges by online communities of experts globally. In particular, the authors discuss the key dynamics and events driving the development of the online marketplaces for innovation. Relying on data from various online platforms, including novel data from one of the world’s largest online platforms, the chapter characterizes the phenomenon, including the geographic dispersion of users and distribution of income, and discusses important implications and challenges for research and development (R&D) and innovation management in organizations. These include the need to develop new organizational and managerial capabilities, intellectual property (IP) protection issues, the ability of balancing internal and external innovation processes, and implications on the changing identity of R&D workers.

Early career recruiters are increasingly focused on finding hidden talent and empowering social mobility, while also managing the reality of large recruitment volumes. A new approach to early careers recruitment solved both of these conflicting challenges.

Using a combination of assessment insights, data analytics and strengths-based recruitment, the Nestlé early careers recruitment process was redesigned. Jobmi mindset assessments, the Capp Situational Strengths Test and the Capp Numerical Reasoning Test were used as online assessments, followed by a strengths-based video interview and strengths-based assessment centres.

Nestlé identified and hired candidates of whom 21 per cent would not have met the previous screening criteria, demonstrating how the new recruitment approach found hidden talent.

Making decisions from assessment insights and data analytics shows that it is possible for volume recruiters to manage, enhance and improve their recruitment processes without need for recourse to arbitrary screening criteria to manage volumes.

Finding hidden talent and empowering social mobility widen opportunity for all people, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. It allows the identification and recruitment of people who demonstrate grit, resolve and tenacity, who might otherwise have been excluded by arbitrary recruitment barriers.

The article concludes with five best practice recommendations for finding hidden talent and promoting social mobility: do not use arbitrary screening criteria; make decisions from assessment insights and data analytics; guard against adverse impact; measure for future potential, not just past experience; and give candidates second chances by being part of a job-matching marketplace.

After reading and discussing the case, the participants would be able to: apply 7S and VRIO framework for online furniture retail; evaluate the profitability of horizontal versus vertical marketplaces for selling furniture online; articulate the challenges faced by online furniture retailers; discuss the applicability of technology to enhance customer experience in online furniture retail; and discuss the omni-channel strategy which online furniture companies can adopt.

Although furniture has traditionally been an unorganized category, the online furniture platforms have been on an upward curve since past few years. Digitization of economy and usage of smartphones to access internet had given a thrust to online purchases. This case on Wakefit Innovations Private Limited is intended to provide the readers with the business and marketing insights of selling furniture using online platform. The readers will be able to understand how retailing furniture using e-commerce is full of challenges and how various marketing activities have helped Wakefit improve their customer base. The readers can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of horizontal versus vertical e-commerce marketplaces and various challenges associated with online furniture retailing. Whether Wakefit should continue setting up experience centres and the benefits that could accrue by usage of virtual reality, augmented reality and data analytics are additional dimensions which can be discussed by the readers. The case will benefit the professionals in understanding the challenges and marketing strategies used by online furniture retailers and the same can be replicated by other players in this sector.

This case is suitable for students enrolled for full credit course on e-commerce at post graduate level. The case can be discussed towards the middle of the course once the students have studied different formats of e-commerce marketplace.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

This work examines the intersection between traditional human resource management and the novel employment arrangements of the expanding gig economy. While there is a substantial multidisciplinary literature on the digital platform labor phenomenon, it has been largely centered on the experiences of gig workers. As digital labor platforms continue to grow and specialize, more managers, executives, and human resource practitioners will need to make decisions about whether and how to utilize gig workers. Here the authors explore and interrogate the unique features of human resource management (HRM) activities in the context of digital labor platforms. The authors discuss challenges and opportunities regarding (1) HRM in organizations that outsource labor needs to external labor platforms, (2) HRM functions within digital labor platform firms, and (3) HRM policies and practices for organizations that develop their own spin-off digital labor platform. To foster a more nuanced understanding of work in the gig economy, the authors identify common themes across these contexts, highlight knowledge gaps, offer recommendations for future research, and outline pathways for collecting empirical data on HRM in the gig economy.

Online marketplaces, which provide on-demand goods or services through matching providers and consumers, have emerged in many sectors of the society. This paper aims to assess the need and speculate the design features of a specialized, online marketplace for archival services.

Interview data collected for a previous project were reanalyzed, and the websites of some online marketplaces were explored.

Existing general-purpose online marketplaces are useful but limited. Archivists and closely related professionals, including conservators, genealogists and public historians, need a specialized online marketplace to connect with their clients. This specialized online marketplace for archival services could adopt some useful features of existing online marketplaces.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first attempt to assess the need for an online marketplace for archival services.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the major factors of client satisfaction (CS) that are critical for web development projects in freelance marketplaces. This quantitative study is done from the point of view of the web development services clients. Five major dimensions were proposed as determinants of CS from the literature review: ease of use, user interface, information, security and privacy.

A web-based survey methodology is used as the main data collection instrument. Statistical techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regressions are used to analyze 162 responses of questionnaires.

The findings suggest that all factors do influence CS. In terms of strength, security had the highest level of impact on CS, so it is the strongest determinant among all factors. After security, ease of use and information are considered as strong determinants. So, this study concludes that the five major determinates do affect CS in web development projects from freelance marketplaces.

This research is limited only to the top freelance marketplaces, such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, Guru, Envato Studio, etc. The sample size is relatively small and this study is focused on web development projects only. Moreover, this research is focused only on the characteristics or attributes of the projects final outcome, i.e. website.

This study attempts to identify the important factors that have a relation with CS, thus giving freelancers an indication of what to look for when working on any web development project posted by any client in a freelance marketplace. Understanding the determinants of CS will also help Pakistani information technology freelancers involved in web development projects and services to increase their project performance, improve their CS rate and increment client following.

This presents the first study on the determinants of CS in web development projects from freelance marketplaces.

The following is an introductory profile of the fastest growing firms over the three-year period of the study listed by corporate reputation ranking order. The business activities in which the firms are engaged are outlined to provide background information for the reader.

The objective of this chapter is to identify the key characteristics of Global Services businesses that will thrive and achieve success in the future. These factors are integrated into three main pillars, which we refer to as the Triple-Win. The first and most obvious pillar is technology as a tool. The second pillar is the design and sustainability of the business model, without which the previous factor would be merely a cost and not an investment. And last but not the least, there is the purpose which gives meaning to the proposal, focusing on the human being and their environment. The DIDPAGA business model sits at the intersection of these three elements.