Rethinking Hackathons’ Strategies: The Findings of a Global Event

Hackathons are events that have become increasingly common around the world. This kind of event, described as a programming marathon, is based on problem-solving that can go beyond the technological boundary. This paper presents the findings of a global hackathon to aid its organizers to rethink their strategies to leverage the knowledge management of the teams to solve the hackathon challenges. Our research is a mixed research approach followed by ethnography based on a questionnaire, interviews, and observations. The findings point out that the organizers should consider four factors to rethink hackathons strategies to leverage knowledge management for the event: knowledge processes, resolving conflicts, individual learning, and experienced emotions. Moreover, our findings could inspire the tech industry to consider those factors to leverage the innovation and creativity in the team workers.