Case Name :      iStockphoto.com: Turning Community into Commerce

Authors :           Rebecca A. Grant, Meghan Stothers

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            907E13

Discipline :        Organizational Behavior

Case Length :    14 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

When the founder of iStockphoto.com started the company in 2000, his objective was to share his vast collection of stock photography with graphic designers worldwide, and, in the process, help others do the same. By 2002, the organization was a respected and successful online community, but the founder and his partners now had to consider the profitability of their company. iStock was founded on community and collaboration – not commerce. Should the model change and if so, what would it take to make a significant culture change work? The case examines the culture and business opportunities for this start-up. It demonstrates the challenges of generating profit from an online community, as well as the key factors needed to build a community that can be turned into a profitable business.