Sustainability of Open Source Software Projects: On the Influence of Technical Interdependencies in Software Ecosystems on Developer Participation

In the community-based model of open source software (OSS) development, OSS projects are built and maintained by developers that voluntarily contribute their skills, knowledge, and time, thus making them dependent on their continued participation. Therefore, the question of how projects can attract and retain developers is of major concern for their sustainability. OSS projects are embedded into a complex network of technical interdependent projects that emerges from building upon and reusing existing software components. In these so-called software ecosystems, the issue of sustained participation is not only a concern of a single project but also other dependent projects. However, the role and influence of these interdependencies between projects have so far been neglected by Information Systems researchers. This dissertation thus asks: _How do technical interdependencies in software ecosystems influence the sustainability of open source software projects?_ To answer this question, this dissertation consists of three independent empirical studies that focus on three aspects of how technical interdependencies influence developer participation and thus contribute to the sustainability of open source projects: (1) the ability to attract developers, (2) the influences on developers' participation decision, and (3) the retention of developers in a project. This dissertation finds that OSS projects attract more developers when depending on other projects and their ability to retain developers increases with the number of shared developers with other technical interrelated projects. Furthermore, the participation decisions of developers are also positively influenced by these technical relations. Together, these studies contribute to the body of knowledge on developer participation by highlighting the role of technical interdependencies for the overall sustainability of open source projects

Open Source Software and Performance: A Fit Perspective

Although Open Source Software (OSS) is popular, its continued use in organizations remains an issue, as evidenced by users reporting frequent problems, experiencing hold-ups, and running into implementation and integration issues. Often, it is argued that fit between the person’s task, values and work demands pose challenges for the successful use of OSS. In this context, this study draws on the concepts of task-technology fit and person-organization fit to develop a model to explore how different dimensions of fit interact with each other to influence OSS user’s productivity and innovation performance. Survey data was collected from OSS users to test the proposed model. Results of the analysis show that when there is fit between an individual’s OSS skills and the nature of the task to be performed (demand-ability fit), an OSS user’s productivity performance increases, whereas, his innovation performance decreases. Further, when the organization’s OSS values matches that of the individual user’s (value-based fit), his task productivity decreases. Implications of the results suggest that organizations that intend to use OSS for a long time need to recruit employees keeping in mind the nature of their OSS projects and the demands and priorities of the tasks performed in the organization

A Comparative Evaluation of the Internets Influence on International Market Penetration and Development Strategies of Australian SME's

The Internet has the capability to generate geographical international market expansion and future growth for the firm, a concept known as Internetalisation. However, it is yet to be determined as to how much or to what level the Internet influences internationalisation, and thus international market growth. Both international market penetration and the development of new international customers are achievable goals for the Internet enlightened SME. The aim of this research is to explore the influence of the Internet on international market penetration and development from the strategic perspective of the SME in Australia. It was found that although the Internet has given firms the capabilities to become instantly international, a new theory is not needed but rather an evolved version of network theory may be a better explanation of internationalisation of SME’s in today’s digital environment

eCPD Programme - Enhanced Learning.

This collection of papers (edited by Kevin Donovan) has been produced by the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) for LSIS. They are based on the summaries used by presenters during workshops at the 2009 launch of the eCPD Programme

Volunteering Reinvented: Human Capital Solutions for the Nonprofit Sector

To grow and adapt in today's continuously changing society, a nonprofit organization must recognize the value and contribution of both its paid staff and volunteers. Simply recruiting large numbers of volunteers, however, does not necessarily translate into success for the nonprofit sector or the community at large. Successful results are achieved when an organization is able to support, mobilize, and manage its volunteer resources for the greatest possible impact on a problem or need.In a competitive environment where resources are often scarce, nonprofit executives and boards of directors have become more strategic about how they leverage the various resources at their disposal:money, space, inkind donations, equipment, technology, and employees. Unfortunately, however, one of the most powerful and plentiful resources of all -- volunteers -- continues to receive short shrift from nonprofit leadership. This paper is intended to educate nonprofit executives about volunteering as a key human resource strategy, illustrate that volunteering is not just nice but necessary, and demonstrate the value volunteers bring to an organization that strategically plans for how to use them both to support infrastructure and to deliver programs and services

Understanding Sustainable Growth in Online Communities of Open-Source Software : Case: Open Core Business

Online communities are crucial for the survival and success of companies using the open core model, as they rely on attracting developers to use their open-source software (OSS) and con-verting some of those free users into paying customers. Current research focuses on the success factors of OSS projects, motivations to contribute, and the sustained participation from the community perspective. This thesis provides the company’s point of view and adds the concept of sustainability to the growth of online communities, which makes this topic very relevant. The main objective of thesis is to uncover the characteristics of successful communities that propitiate sustainable growth, and what are the main challenges that stand in the way by finding answers to following questions, in the context of OSS. a) What is the nature and relevance of online communities of OSS? b) What are the main factors that drive sustainable growth in online communities of OSS? c) What are the barriers for sustainable growth in online communities of OSS? To achieve this understanding, the literature review widely covers the phenomenon of open-source software communities from what they are to why are they relevant, and how can the success of these online communities be measured. Finally, the current research on sustain-able growth in online communities and its success factors and barriers are covered. To expand the current knowledge on the sustainable growth of OSS communities, a case study is con-ducted by interviewing six key members that work with the community in an open core company by using the standardized open-ended interview approach and a six-phased thematic analysis. The findings of the study identify four areas to look after when planning for sustainable growth: member’s activities, communication platforms, company involvement, and product & marketing. Among the success factors, support, engagement, and recognition are brought up as some of the key drivers. On the other hand, the data suggests the main challenges are found in the form of communication barriers, inadequate resources, brand misconceptions, social issues, and challenges in product development

CRM and Mobile Applications:An Overview of Mobile CRM Adoption

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to summarize articles on mobile apps and mCRM to identify important factors affecting their adoption.  Research limitations/implications – The relatively small sample size limits the generalization of the results. Keywords - mCRM adoption, Mobile technology, Technology Acceptance Model, CRM system, B2B sales, Employee satisfaction, mCRM, Personal performance, System use, E-satisfaction, E-loyalty, Mobile banking, E-trust, Mobile marketing, Technology implementation. DOI: 10.7176/IKM/10-2-06 Publication date: February 29th 202