Effects of governance on crowdsourcer satisfaction in crowdsourcing: moderating roles of task and environment complexities

Purpose This study aims to explore how relational and contractual governance affect crowdsourcer satisfaction under boundary conditions, including internal (i.e. task complexity) or external (i.e. environmental complexity) factors. Design/methodology/approach We empirically validate the hypotheses using survey data collected from 255 crowdsourcers on a leading platform (i.e. Zhubajie.com). Partial least squares technique and hierarchical regression analysis are used to test the research model. Findings Both forms of governance mechanisms positively affect crowdsourcer satisfaction. Task complexity negatively moderates the linkage of relational governance and crowdsourcer satisfaction. However, environmental complexity weakens the positive effect of contractual governance but enhances the effect of relational governance on satisfaction. Originality/value This study deepens the current understanding of governance mechanism in crowdsourcing by discovering the effectiveness of contractual and relational governance. We also contribute to the governance and crowdsourcing literature by revealing the mechanisms of how governance takes effect under task and environmental complexities.