دانلود رایگان مقاله تحت تاثیر قرارگرفتن شرکت توسط جوامع نرم افزار با منبع باز

Abstract

This paper explores how software firms can apply different types of governance approaches to open source software development projects (OSSDPs) and draws on control theory to propose that firms may influence OSSDPs by employing either leadership or resource deployment control. A matrix differentiating four types of OSSDPs: firm- versus community-initiated projects and one participating firm (single-vendor projects) versus many firms (multivendor projects), and accompanying hypotheses regarding a firm's participation for each type are developed. Using data from 83 Eclipse projects to test the hypotheses, findings indicate that (1) firms more actively employ both leadership and resource deployment in firm-initiated projects than in community-initiated ones and (2) firms are more likely to use resource deployment control over leadership control in multivendor projects. Key theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

4. Discussion

Understanding how to influence and control the development of an OSSDP is vitally important to firms that provide resources to a project. Drawing on a behavioral view of control, we argue that firms may choose between RDC, which authorizes developers socialized within firm boundaries to work for an OSSDP, and CBL, where employed developers capture leading positions in a project. In addition, we developed a framework that distinguishes OSSDPs initiated by a firm from those initiated by a community, as well as those that consist of one participating firm (SVP) from those with multiple firms (MVP). The difference between SVP and MVP is important and often neglected in studies of OSSDPs, yet these approaches reflect different business models (e.g., Dahlander, 2007; Riehle, 2012; West & O'Mahony, 2008). Among the most salient findings of this research is that the number of firms in a project affects the number of sponsored committers, but not the number of sponsored project leaders. We discuss the implications of our research for theory and management in the following.