An Exploratory Study of Ideology and Trust in Open Source Development Groups

Open source (OS) software development has been the subject of heightened interest among organizational scholars because of the novel social coordination practices that signal a departure from traditional proprietary software development. We propose that trust among group members in open source development groups (OSDGs) plays a key role in facilitating their success. Trust is important in this context because of the risk of opportunistic behavior by other members who volunteers may not have met and may never expect to meet, as well as a lack of explicit market contracts or common organizational affiliation. The open source community is differentiated by a coherent ideology that emphasizes a distinct set of interrelated norms, beliefs, and values. These serve to create incentives for open source practices that eschew conventional transactional norms in favor of a gift culture and a focus on reputations. In this study, we primarily examine the role of the shared ideology in enabling the development of affective and cognitive trust in OSDGs. We further examine how this trust leads to desired outcomes ñ group efficacy and effectiveness. The study is based on exploratory interviews, examination of archival records and a preliminary survey to understand the specific conditions of open source efforts on which this work-in-progress report is based. This is being followed-up by empirical testing of our research model through a survey of a broad variety of OSDGs. This study would contribute to a clarification of the role of trust in enabling software groups to work effectively and help to understand the bases of trust in ideology-permeated groups

Cohesion, Structure and Software Complexity: A Model of Open Source Software Development

As the use of open source software gains popularity, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to the success of open source software development projects. This research contributes to this understanding by developing a set of propositions about the organizational structure that supports open source software projects. We argue that in open source software development it is important to understand the existence and interaction of two related but distinct entities; the interest community and the software development group. We propose relationships between the development group, the interest community and software complexity in open source software development. Implications of the propositions for research and practice are discussed

Make-or-Buy in the Age of Open Source: A Transaction Cost Analysis

Since their appearance, open source communities have become increasingly successful and seemingly pose a real threat to traditional proprietary software vendors. Because open source software has now achieved both recognition and legitimacy, obtaining products and services from communities offers firms an additional alternative in traditional make-or-buy decisions. Transaction cost economics has been widely used as a theory to explain and predict the appropriate governance structure for make-or-buy decisions. By comparing transaction and production costs along a continuum of variable asset specificity, transaction cost economics helps to explain and predict the circumstances in which the open source community is the appropriate governance structure for specific make-or-buy decisions. Our work contributes to existing open source software research by shedding light on the factors that influence the appropriateness of this form of software production for firms. We are also contributing to the body of research surrounding transaction cost economics by incorporating into the original analysis the addition of “communities” as a unique governance alternative

Impact d’une culture libre sur les modes d’organisation dans une communauté virtuelle : une étude ethnographique de la communauté du logiciel libre Ubuntu

La société contemporaine est perturbée par de nouvelles formes d'être ensemble. De plus en plus caractérisée par une économie de la connaissance (Foray, 2000), la société immerge dans les technologies de l'information et de la communication qui prennent une importance prédominante. De nouvelles communautés, qualifiées de virtuelles apparaissent dans un territoire déterritorialisé, territoires virtuels et émergents qui forment l'internet. Dans cette étude, nous nous interrogeons sur les nouvelles formes que prend la culture dans ces zones virtuelles. Nous serons amenés à qualifier ce que sont les communautés virtuelles, et à voir qu’elles possèdent des cultures qui leurs sont propres. Et dans la communauté étudiée, nous caractériserons, l’influence de cette culture sur son modèle d’organisation. Il s’agit de résultats provenant d’une étude ethnographique menée dans la communauté Ubuntu, une communauté virtuelle du logiciel libre. Finalement, nous concluons sur la possible prise en considération de la liberté par les sciences de la gestion

Leverage Points for Addressing Digital Inequality: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective

Digital inequality, or the disparity in the access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), is one of the most critical issues in the knowledge economy. This inequality prevents under-privileged people from exploring digital opportunities to enhance their life quality. Governments, business, and the public have devoted tremendous resources to address this issue, but the results are inconclusive. Theoretical understanding, complemented with theory-based empirical assessment of the phenomenon, is essential to inform effective policy-making and interventions. This dissertation explored the key factors that lead to the inequality in the access and use of ICT, particularly the high-speed Internet, between the privileged and under-privileged. I applied a belief-based perspective to understand how distinctive beliefs concerning ICT acceptance differentially influence under-privileged and privileged people¡¦s innovation decision and behavior at different stages of the implementation process. A theoretical model that drew upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, Motivation Theory, Social Learning Theory, Diffusion of Innovation, and Trust was developed to explain how cognitive, social, behavioral, and institutional factors inform digital inequality as a whole. The conceptual model and forwarded hypotheses in the dissertation were empirically tested using data collected from a large-scale field survey. The survey investigated the adoption and usage behavior of residents in the city of LaGrange, Georgia where the city government, aiming to address digital inequality, provided high-speed Internet connection and devices to residents at no cost. A complementary case study was subsequently conducted to examine a multi-stage process model in which various barriers and facilitators may prevent or promote the progress of individuals¡¦ ICT innovation. The results of this research reveal valuable insights into the differential patterns of ICT access and usage, and the key factors that cause them, for under-privileged and privileged people. The findings, in turn, suggest a segmentation and stepwise technology implementation strategy for people with different backgrounds and at different stages of their innovation processes. This dissertation makes several notable contributions for both researchers and practitioners. First, the dissertation contributes a holistic and theoretically grounded perspective that extends beyond the technology-centered view in most digital inequality studies. It also highlights the multifaceted nature of the phenomenon. As such, this research meets the challenge set forward by notable researchers to develop theoretical models capable of revealing the complexity embedded in this issue. Second, the dissertation presents a unifying theory reflected upon adoption and diffusion of innovation. Testing theories in the context of digital inequality extends and complements our existing knowledge about these related fields. Most importantly, the empirical findings derived from the rich data set identity powerful leverage points for stimulating the adoption and use of ICT among the under-privileged. With such insights, practitioners, particularly policy-makers and service providers, can formulate effective interventions to address the problem of digital inequality

Linking trust and performance evaluation style

Researchers have long called for broader perspectives of performance evaluation style (Ferreira and Otley, 2009; Noeverman and Koene, 2005; Hartmann, 2000; Vagneur and Peiperl, 2000). Trust is relevant to performance evaluation and meaningful to other aspects of management control. However, little research exists on the relationship between trust and aspects of management control (Hartmann & Slapnicar, 2009; Noeverman, 2007). The primary purpose of this thesis is to explore the linkage between trust and performance evaluation style from a multidimensional perspective. Evaluation style encompasses perceptions of use at three stages of the evaluation process (i.e. target-setting, evaluating, and rewarding). Similarly, trust encompasses perceptions of beliefs about self, beliefs about other, and behavioural outcomes in the superior-subordinate relationship. This thesis reports on a field study conducted within subsidiaries of two multinational firms in the financial services industry. The study of trust and performance evaluation style followed an innovative middle range research approach. Using vignettes and probing questions in semi-structured in-depth interviews, meanings around the constructs of trust and performance evaluation style were elicited. Such a multidimensional context-specific perspective answers calls for further development within both literatures, and therefore contributes to a better theoretical understanding of how evaluation style is linked to trust. The results of the research project reveal a bi-directional association between trust and performance evaluation style. In so doing, it highlights contributions towards further theory development through relating performance evaluation style as influential to trust, and likewise, trust as influential to performance evaluation style. Moreover, trust and performance evaluation style can be both complements and substitutes. A theoretical matrix is also developed which provides useful insight into the potential linkages. Additionally, this thesis shows the importance of context and functional role in defining individual perceptions on trust and evaluation style