Explaining Perceived Turnover in Open Source Software Projects based on Hygiene Factors

The success of open source software (OSS) projects heavily depends on sustained participation of project members. However, turnover of members and the ensuing instability have become very common. To better understand the turnover of members in OSS projects, we base our study on Herzberg´s two-factor theory to investigate whether hygiene factors will lead to members´ dissatisfaction. At the same time, we draw on Mobley´s model of withdrawal decision process to hypothesize the relationship between dissatisfaction and perceived turnover. We develop a research model and present hypotheses that should be tested in the future. To empirically assess this model, we intend to survey OSS project members through the largest development platform Sourceforge. This study will provide a new insight into how the turnover of members emerges in OSS projects. The findings of this progressive research will have implications for both practice and theory

Locus of Fluctuations: an Examination of Project Disruptions

Project deviations of different types are used to examine the theorized role of Locus of Control on two types of project outcomes: process performance and developer satisfaction. A survey of 315 professional project managers is analyzed with PLS-SEM to quantify the direct effects of requirements fluctuations, staff fluctuations and technology fluctuations as well as the contingent effects from External Locus of Flux. We demonstrate the consequences of deviation events that complicate efforts to maintain situational control. Implications for research and practice are discussed

Managing the boundary of an 'open' project

In the past ten years, the boundaries between public and open science and commercial research efforts have become more porous. Scholars have thus more critically examined ways in which these two institutional regimes intersect. Large open source software projects have also attracted commercial collaborators and now struggle to develop code in an open public environment that still protects their communal boundaries. This research applies a dynamic social network approach to understand how one community-managed software project, Debian, developed a membership process. We examine the project's face-to-face social network over a five-year period (1997-2001) to see how changes in the social structure affected the evolution of membership mechanisms and the determination of gatekeepers. While the amount and importance of a contributor's work increased the probability that a contributor would become a gatekeeper, those more central in the social network were more likely to become gatekeepers and influence the membership process. A greater understanding of the mechanisms open projects use to manage their boundaries has critical implications for research and knowledge-producing communities operating in pluralistic, open and distributed environments.open source software; social networks; organizational design; institutional design;

Social impact of mining survey: Aggregate results queensland communities

This is the final report from a study into the social impact of mining in Queensland

Geographic information systems in the social sector: trends, opportunities, barriers, and best practices

There has been a rapid adoption of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the government and commercial sectors over the past several decades, while the social sector (aka "nonprofit sector") has lagged behind. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding GIS in the social sector, highlighting unique characteristics and trends in the sector related to GIS utilization, in order to support the development of custom GIS adoption strategies. An online survey regarding GIS adoption and perception was conducted among nonprofit organizations in Guilford County, North Carolina and then statewide across North Carolina. Analysis of results found some level of in-house familiarity with GIS to be moderately common, but adoption rates are low. Most current GIS use is multi-modal, with in-house being the most common reported mode. A need for GIS training/education from an external source is demonstrated in survey findings. Respondents most commonly were unable to determine the level of usefulness GIS could provide. Cross-tabulations showed that familiarity, adoption and positive perception of GIS increase with total annual budget size. Findings also suggest a relationship between an organization's investment in key categories (information technology, research, and strategic planning) and GIS adoption. Significantly higher GIS adoption rates were found among nonprofits with partner organizations that also use GIS, while working relationships with government agencies and other nonprofits were prevalent. This finding suggests that a viral approach to GIS adoption in the social sector may be helpful

Costs and benefits of superfast broadband in the UK

This paper was commissioned from LSE Enterprise by Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions to stimulate an open and constructive debate among the main stakeholders about the balance between the costs, the revenues, and the societal benefits of ‘superfast’ broadband. The intent has been to analyse the available facts and to propose wider perspectives on economic and social interactions. The paper has two parts: one concentrates on superfast broadband deployment and the associated economic and social implications (for the UK and its service providers), and the other considers alternative social science approaches to these implications. Both parts consider the potential contribution of smart solutions to superfast broadband provision and use. Whereas Part I takes the “national perspective” and the “service provider perspective”, which deal with the implications of superfast broadband for the UK and for service providers, Part II views matters in other ways, particularly by looking at how to realise values beyond the market economy, such as those inherent in neighbourliness, trust and democrac

Dynamic Capability Building through partnering: An Australian Mobile handset case Study

Dynamic capabilities are increasingly seen as an organisational characteristic for innovation and are regarded as a source of competitive advantage. In a quest for sustainability, service organisations are partnering with their stakeholders, and subsequently are aptly bringing innovation in services to market. Most of existing empirical research regarding dynamic capabilities seeks to define and identify specific dynamic capabilities, as well as their organizational antecedents or effects. Yet, the extent to which the antecedents of success in particular dynamic capabilities, contribute to innovation in service organisations remains less researched. This study advances the understanding of such dynamic capability building process through effective collaboration, and highlights the detailed mechanisms and processes of capability building within a service value network framework to deliver innovation in services. Deploying a case study methodology, transcribing interviews with managers and staff from an Australian telco and its partnering organisations, results show that collaboration, collaborative organisational learning, collaborative innovative capacity, entrepreneurial alertness and collaborative agility are all core to fostering innovation in services. Practical implications of this research are significant, and that the impacts of collaboration and the dynamic capabilities mentioned above are discussed in the context of a mobile handset case study