Abstrakt
Crowdfunding projects have been the subject of contrasting narratives. To many, they are the antithesis of predatory bottom-line business ventures, and to others, they are an under-regulated vehicle for immature, or unscrupulous project owners to exploit inexperienced and vulnerable investors. These differences are significant, given many use crowdfunding to build public awareness and project a positive image. We use the myth of Prometheus – the Greek god associated with “defiant progress” and technological advancement – as a sensitising lens to build a set of competing, dialectic archetypes. We then apply these archetypes through a Hegelian dialectic analysis of three high-profile crowdfunding campaigns. The overarching contribution of the study is that it provides a foundation for discussion of the positive and negative narratives surrounding crowdfunded project owners and explicates the limitations of crowdfunding as an enabler of positive systemic change. The dialectic approach provides a systematic means of identifying the essence of disagreement between narratives. While it may be too early to predict the outcomes for emerging technology-driven initiatives such as crowdfunding, the use of myth offers a sophisticated means to look for “rhyming” phenomena, where the phenomena at play are similar to the grand frailties of humankind throughout history.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | European Journal of Information Systems |
Vol/bind | 31 |
Udgave nummer | 2 |
Sider (fra-til) | 207-226 |
Antal sider | 20 |
ISSN | 0960-085X |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - apr. 2022 |
Bibliografisk note
Published online: 26 December 2020.Emneord
- Crowdfunding
- Dialectic
- Myth
- Prometheus
- Kickstarter