@article {829, title = {Challenging the Stage-Gate Model in Crowdsourcing: The Case of Fiat Mio in Brazil}, journal = {Technology Innovation Management Review}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {09/2014}, pages = {28-35}, publisher = {Talent First Network}, address = {Ottawa}, abstract = {A large crowdsourcing project managed by Fiat Brazil involved more than 17,000 participants from 160 different nationalities over 15 months. Fiat promoted a dialogue with an enthusiastic community by linking car experts, professionals, and lay people, through which more than 11,000 ideas were selected and developed to create a concept car using a collaborative process. Through an in-depth case study of this crowdsourcing project, we propose a new approach {\textendash} the accordion model {\textendash} which uses project management to help maximize the beneficial inputs of the crowd. Whereas the stage-gate process relies on a {\textquotedblleft}funnel{\textquotedblright} of articulated sequences expressing a progressive reduction from an initial stock of potential ideas and concepts, in this article, we suggest that crowdsourced projects are more akin to a process that articulates a succession of broadening and funnelling periods that represent information requests and deliveries. We use the metaphorical terminology of {\textquotedblleft}the sacred and the profane{\textquotedblright} to illustrate the interaction of sophisticated and ordinary ideas between the {\textquotedblleft}sacred{\textquotedblright} experts from Fiat and the {\textquotedblleft}profane{\textquotedblright} lay people associated with the project. Lessons learned from the Fiat Mio case suggest how both organizations and Internet users may benefit from successful crowdsourcing projects.}, keywords = {automobile industry, Brazil, crowdsourcing, Fiat, marketing, Open innovation, project management}, issn = {1927-0321}, doi = {http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/829}, url = {http://timreview.ca/article/829}, author = {Fabio Prado Saldanha and Patrick Cohendet and Marlei Pozzebon} }