Competencias obreras en cuanto a participación

In this sub chapter, the author will collect relevant background information concerning the case company X, such as the company profile, range of service provided, how the service works, and the fee schedule of the case company X. Based on the theoretical framework created in Chapter 4 and the collected information concerning the case company X, the author will attempt to find out and present the business model of the case company X.

6.1.1 Company profile

Founded in 2006 in China as an internet marketplace and workplace for non-physical products and services, Company X received a CNY 10-million investment from a Chinese venture capital company in 2007 and a USD multi-ten-million investment from one of the world's largest IT venture investors in 2011, and now Company X has its headquarters in China with offices located in USA and Canada. Company X currently has two websites: companyx.com operated in Company X’s headquarters in China for the Chinese market and companyxx.com operated in Company X’s USA office for the North American market. With these two websites, Company X is the

largest crowdsourcing service provider all over the world with over 9 million registered users. (Company X, 2013)

Since the first day Company X was founded, task providers on Company X’s websites have provided solutions to more than 1.5 million tasks provided by more than 1 million enterprises in over 25 countries and regions, with an accumulated transaction amounts to CNY 2,500 million. In 2012, the annual accumulated transaction on Company X’s websites amounted to CNY 750 million. And currently there are 5,000 to 10,000 transactions made on Company X’s websites on a daily basis, with a daily accumulated transaction amounts to CNY 2 million to CNY 4 million. (ibid.)

6.1.2 Range of services provided

Company X focuses on businesses and individual users for both professional and everyday services, and currently the most popular services on Company X’s websites are Graphic and Logo Design, Web Design and Development, Translation,

Copywriting, Sales and Marketing, as well as Software and Application Development. Company X’s two websites are integrated as when a task provider posts a task on one of the websites, it will automatically appear on the other website as well. These two websites together provide a unique and innovative platform where task providers can post their service requirements while solution providers bid and work on tasks posted by task providers. Company X ensures to provide the best solution to securely and easily complete work and transactions using its sites. (Company X, 2013)

6.1.3 How the services work

as logo design, web design, marketing promotions and so on, a task provider posts the task on Company X’s websites, specify what he/she will pay, i.e. the reward, and solution providers will complete the task and submit their solutions, the task provider then chooses the best solution and make the payment to the winner. In the case of making a contract with a solution providers, which is ideal for long-term or multi- phase tasks such as website development, programming, translation, copywriting and so on, the task provider posts the task, solution providers will bid on the task by submitting their qualifications and ideas, the task provider then chooses a solution provider based on his/her qualifications, describes what the task entails and when it should be completed, negotiates the payment, i.e. the reward, which can be made in stages or as a lump sum reward depending on the nature and progress of the job, and then the task provider can begin to work with the solution provider. (ibid.)

6.1.4 Fee schedule

Company X’s websites charge fees, as shown in the table of Fees Schedule regarding North American users below, for users to use some of the services. When a user uses a service that has a fee, there is an opportunity to review and accept the fees that are to be charged based on the Fees Schedule, which may change from time to time.

Changes to the fees are posted on the Company X’s websites and are effective with at least fourteen days' notice. Company X may temporarily change the fees due to promotional events (for example, free Job posting days may be offered), and such changes are effective when the temporary promotional event is posted on the site. Users are responsible for paying all fees and applicable taxes associated with Company X’s sites and services in a timely manner into the User's Account. (ibid.)

TABLE 6: Company X’s Service Fees Schedule (based on Company X, 2013)

For task providers:

Item Costs (quoted in US dollars)

Job Listing Fee (deducted from the Job Reward Payment OR refunded if task providers cannot get required results)

Contract: $5.00 deposit Contest: Free

Highlight (moves the task to the top of the list)

$19.00

Extend Contract or Contest $5.00 per day

For solution providers:

Item Plan (quoted in US dollars)

Basic Gold

Membership Fee (per month) Free $19.99

Service Fee (per task) 20% of the reward 15% of the reward

Bid Tokens (tokens are used to get bid opportunities)

$ 5.00 per 10 tokens

$3.00 per 10 tokens