How do prosumers collaborate in online communities? The four-level structure of collaborative prosumption practices

This study uncovers how community structures allow prosumers to collaborate on complex global projects. While prior research has demonstrated that collaborative prosumption involves many difficulties, such as different levels of involvement, skills, or intentions, we lack knowledge about how consumers orchestrate prosumption practices despite these tensions. Using in-depth interviews and netnography, we study collaborative prosumption in speedrunning communities. Our findings reveal that speedrunners collaborate at four distinct but interconnected levels of functionally differentiated prosumption practices: the member level, the team level, the crowd level, and the public level. We identify upstream and downstream processes when speedrunners work across these levels. This study contributes to the literature on collaborative prosumption by introducing community levels that structure collaborative prosumption practices. We also offer practical implications for the effective management and coordination of online communities.