Problem definition: Firms seek to use the contest format to source solutions from a broader network of outside solvers. We study the application of the contest approach in multi-stage settings, and show how and when screening of contestants between stages can produce improved contest...

Innovation contests have been studied primarily as mechanisms to obtain extreme valued solutions. In the current work, we propose that this conceptualization of innovation contests needs to be expanded to also consider the long-term benefits from the knowledge/capabilities generated by the...

Organizations increasingly seek solutions to their open-ended design problems by employing a contest approach in which search over a solution space is delegated to outside agents. We study this new class of problems, which are costly to specify, pose credibility issues for the focal firm, and...