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The motivation to participate in crowdsourcing (CS) platforms is an emerging challenge. Although researchers and practitioners have focused on crowd motivation in the past, the results obtained through such practices have not been satisfactory. Researchers have left unexplored research areas related to CS pillars, such as the evolution of the crowd’s primary motivations, seekers applying effective policies and incentives, platform design challenges and addressing task complexity using the synchronicity of the crowd. Researchers are now more inclined to address these issues by focusing on sustaining the crowd’s motivation; however, sustaining the crowd’s motivation has many challenges.

To fill this gap, this study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to investigate and map the challenges and factors affecting sustained motivation during CS with the overcoming implications. Studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria were published between 2010 and 2021.

Important sustainable factors are extracted using the grounded theory that has sustained participation and the factors' cohesion leads to the identification of challenges that the pillars of CS face. Crowds being the most vital part of CS contests face the challenge of engagement. The results reported the factors that affect the crowd’s primary and post-intentions, perceived value of incentives and social and communal interaction. Seekers face the challenge of knowledge and understanding; the results identify the reason behind the crowd’s demotivation and the impact of theories and factors on the crowd's psychological needs which helped in sustaining participation. Similarly, the platforms face the challenge of being successful and demanding, the results identify the latest technologies, designs and features that seekers proclaim and need the platforms designer's attention. The identified task challenges are completion and achievement; the authors have identified the impact of trait of task and solving mechanisms that have sustained participation.

The study identifies, explores and summarizes the challenges on CS pillars researchers are facing now to sustain contributions by keeping participants motivated during online campaigns. Similarly, the study highlights the implication to overcome the challenges by identifying and prioritizing the areas concerning sustainability through the adoption of innovative methods or policies that can guarantee sustained participation.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of community of practice in sustaining teachers' participation in a blended (face‐to‐face and online) professional development course.

A longitudinal multiple‐case study methodology was used in researching groups of five teachers in Australia and four teachers in the UK. The two groups independently participated in an initial face‐to‐face training day and then completed the professional development course via an online learning environment (Blackboard). The course was designed to facilitate community of practice cohesion. Data collection included surveys, data mining of online activity, discussion forums and e‐mails, and semi‐structured interviews.

The paper finds that the participants of both case studies demonstrated sustained engagement for more than twice the minimum requirement. While the Australian case study was sustained through a community‐defined regime of participation, the UK case study increasingly relied on the course facilitator to broker both practices and a community rhythm by which they could participate. Sustained participation in the Australian case study was supported by mutuality as seen in reciprocity of interaction and social engagement.

Transformative professional development is dependent on a number of design principles, including that it needs to be sustained over time. The literature reveals that neither face‐to‐face nor online professional development, per se, sustains engagement. This research demonstrates that teacher participation can be sustained by designing for community of practice cohesion, in a blended mode of delivery with small groups of participants.

Due to its technical focus, the introductory accounting course has a hierarchical knowledge structure that requires students to master and integrate abstract knowledge which builds on itself over time. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between engagement and examination performance for students enrolled in a hierarchically structured course.

This research involves a retrospective study of an introduction to accounting course examining the relationship between increased engagement and examination performance. Students are provided opportunities for engagement through assigned homework and optional ungraded assignments. Performance is measured by scores on each of three examinations conducted throughout the semester.

The study finds that additional engagement in assignments has no significant impact on mid-semester examination performance; however, sustained engagement throughout the semester has a cumulative impact on final examination performance. Moreover, students that perform well on mid-semester examinations do not benefit from additional engagement, whereas students that perform poorly on the mid-semester examinations exhibit substantially higher final examination scores from sustained engagement.

This study illustrates the complex interplay between engagement and performance and the timing of performance gains. The implication for educators is that increased sustained engagement is likely to result in increased but delayed student performance gains in disciplines with hierarchical knowledge structures.

This study contributes to the literature in its examination of the timing of performance benefits gained from increased engagement in courses with a cumulative knowledge base.

This study aims to understand the impact of key resources on work engagement while working from home (WFH). Social support is divided into the support provided at home and leadership and organizational support (LOS) provided externally. Thus, the study contends that while WFH employees invest in internal resources, they seek validation, care and assurance from external resources. Previous studies' limitations were addressed by considering LOS as an external resource that strengthens the relationship between internal resources and work engagement.

Survey research (n = 244) was undertaken, and the interaction effect between LOS and the other resources like flexibility, work support and the home environment was empirically validated using PROCESS macro.

The interaction effects between LOS and the internal resources were positive, which suggests that LOS helps mitigate the stress associated with remote working and results in positive work engagement.

The study delineates LOS as an external resource that augments the effect of internal resources on work engagement, which impacts work engagement. In research, significantly less effort has been expended on studying the effect of the home domain on work engagement, which was also the focus of this study. Future research can look at other factors that impact work engagement, especially in a remote work setting.

Through observing the use of iPhone and iPad by a child between the ages of two and four years and a half, this study presents accounts on the child’s use of and interaction with these devices, as well as her interaction with the physical environment.

Unstructured, naturalistic observation was employed in this study. The study is grounded in theories of user engagement with digital and physical objects.

A child’s interaction with touch-based devices does not deter the child from engaging effectively with the physical environment or from activities centered on creativity and interpersonal engagement. A child is able to move back and forth seamlessly between the physical and digital environments.

Findings from this study could help parents, educators, and system designers understand why and how toddlers and preschoolers use and engage with touch-based devices, as well as the kind of tasks they perform.

Studies of toddlers’ or preschoolers’ information behavior and interaction with touch-based devices are scarce. Children born toward the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century are growing up with a propensity to using touch-based devices. This study provides a framework for effective usage of such devices while ensuring all-round cognitive and physical development of the child.

This paper aims to explore how a socio-digital platform can facilitate consumer responsibilisation in food consumption to encourage sustained responsible consumption and uncovers its possible impacts on different stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem.

Two-year-long case study of a socio-digital platform that aims to integrate consumers with the farming process; creating value for them and the farmers in India.

The process of consumer responsibilisation happens through three mechanisms; construction of a moral-material identity, vicarious self-artisanship and shared responsibilisation. Through these key mechanisms, the socio-digital platform could foster consumer responsibilisation and engender positive societal impacts by promoting both responsible production and consumption.

This study shows how the construction of moral–material identity could move beyond an either-or choice between moralistic and material identity and allow space for the coexistence of both. This paper highlights how a socio-digital platform can be leveraged to facilitate responsible consumer engagement in an aestheticised farming process.

This paper aims to guide policymakers to design digitally-enabled human-centred innovation in facilitating consumer engagement with farming and cultivating responsible consumers in achieving sustainable development goals.

This study shows how consumer responsibilisation can actually address market failures by enhancing the value created in the system, reducing wastage and cutting costs wherever possible, which drive better incomes for the farmers.

Previous studies have discussed heterogeneous motivations for responsible food consumption. However, this research explores the processes through which an individual reconnects to food production and the mechanisms that support this process in the long run.

The aim of this case study is to explore how Norfolk County Council (NCC) has sustained high employee engagement levels against a backdrop of re‐organization, restructure, redundancies and cutbacks.

In 2007 NCC embarked on an ongoing engagement project with Ipsos Mori. The aim was to restructure; align goals with new values; turn NCC into an “excellent” performing council; and have fully engaged staff and unions. It subsequently improved on already strong engagement levels and these are set to assist the council as it moves into its most challenging period yet.

NCC recognized from the outset that engagement needs to be a collective endeavor and this has been, and continues to be, key to engaging its people through turbulent times. Employee involvement underpinned the engagement program, from the initial survey through to focus groups, employee‐defined values and employee‐initiated programs. In turn, employee engagement underpins its change activities.

This case study would be a useful guide to any HR professional faced with implementing major change and looking to balance the need to maintain engagement and motivation levels with the need to make cutbacks and redundancies.

The accelerating need for sustainable development across the globe has put firms under great pressure to play their role in social sustainability by working on several objectives. Among them, the demand for a highly resilient and engaged workforce to sustain their competitive edge is at the forefront. Despite noted literature revolving around work engagement, there is a lack of research investigating the effect of sustainable leadership on employee resilience and work engagement. The current epidemic (COVID-19) brings many challenges for organizations. In these times of uncertainty, sustainable leaders provide the basis for achieving the human dimension of sustainability by fostering and cultivating a vision across the employees that enables the organizations to work positively for their well-being, enhancing their ability to be resilient and engaged in their work. The present chapter has two broad aims, first to give a comprehensive review of our present understanding of work engagement, that is, the conceptualization, operationalization, and prediction of work engagement; and the second part outlines the interventions that may facilitate the sustainability of work engagement in times of uncertainty. The study suggests that sustainable leadership and the ability of resilience enables employees to overcome their experience of fluctuating levels of engagement. It is established that in the uncertainties of an epidemic, the construct of work engagement with its antecedents and consequences has its theoretical and practical implications for academicians as well as for industry.

The purpose of this study is to identify the process of virtual influencer stickiness in the age of influencer marketing, which has received little attention in the literature. This is essential because the research creates a theoretical model of follower loyalty/stickiness to virtual influencer techniques from the standpoint of influencer marketing, which has a substantial effect on the evolution of the global marketing world.

In 2022, 302 people who currently follow an Instafamous virtual influencer took part in an Instagram self-administered online survey.

The findings show that both expertise and trustworthiness have a positive and significant influence on parasocial interaction, which in turn has a significant influence on virtual engagement and stickiness.

This research will specifically assist international readers in understanding how to harness and increase the efficiency and efficacy of interactive marketing strategies and methods to engage and retain followers of Instafamous virtual influencer. Moreover, the findings will be beneficial to opinion leaders, brand managers, company investors, entrepreneurs and service designers.

1. The study pioneers a holistic virtual follower stickiness mechanism that comprises the role of source credibility, parasocial interaction, informational influence and virtual follower’s engagement and their interrelationship to each other.

2. This study is based on parasocial interaction theory and source credibility theory to understand the relationship between virtual followers and influencers stickiness process at social media platforms.

3. In addition, the study examined the subsequent effects of sources of credibility components on parasocial interaction; as well as, on virtual follower engagement and stickiness.

4. This study also categorized and examined the moderating effects exerted by the genres of informative influence of virtual influencer.

The study pioneers a holistic virtual follower stickiness mechanism that comprises the role of source credibility, parasocial interaction, informational influence and virtual follower’s engagement and their interrelationship to each other.

This study is based on parasocial interaction theory and source credibility theory to understand the relationship between virtual followers and influencers stickiness process at social media platforms.

In addition, the study examined the subsequent effects of sources of credibility components on parasocial interaction; as well as, on virtual follower engagement and stickiness.

This study also categorized and examined the moderating effects exerted by the genres of informative influence of virtual influencer.