Case study: Mozilla’s Crowdsourcing Mystique
CASE ABSTRACT
Mozilla, the California-based developer of the popular Firefox web browser, is a not-for-profit organization. More importantly, while it employs 250 people, about 40 percent of its work is done by volunteers. Their “crowdsourcing” approach to work and innovation has paid off in a big way both in terms of market share and in terms of users’ mindshare. A similar approach has not succeeded in for-profit companies such as Google and LinkedIn. The case identifies reasons why this unique approach to innovation has worked very well as Mozilla.
What is Mozilla’s “crowdsourcing” model?
What problems did LinkedIn and Google face in emulating Mozilla’s volunteer model?
Has Mozilla’s unique approach to innovation paid off? Why does the model work in an organization such as Mozilla?
Use the BCG Matrix to analyze Mozilla as its strategy relates to that of its competitors.