seminar
The Dynamics of Open Source Software Development and Innovation
In stark contrast with the fully participative "bazaar" imagery of open source software (OSS) development, recent empirical research has pointed out that much of the OSS development is carried out by a small percentage of developers. This raises serious concerns that concentration of development effort on a few will underutilize the available resources and limit innovation. I propose a model of concentration effects in OSS development that articulates the dynamics of individual and collective actions through which shared schemata emerges and that explores the subsequent impacts on innovation. I also examine the conditions for the emergence of shared schemata and introduce configural forms of concentration effects that may result. By examining the concentration effects on innovation, I seek to address a key knowledge-based question of how to organize efficiently to generate knowledge and problem-solving capability. Practitioners can use this approach to mine and evaluate online threaded discussions, and to better support existing knowledge-sharing initiatives. Dr. George Kuk's visit is funded by the HKU Constituent Theme - Information Technology
Dr George Kuk is a faculty member at the Nottingham University Business School. His research interests lie in problems that arise at the interface of strategy, organization and practice aspects of managing information systems and technology assets. His current research projects investigate participation and knowledge sharing in electronic networks of practice comprising of intra-organizational knowledge networks and open source software communities. His representative single-authored publications have appeared in Management Science, Information & Management, Government Information Quarterly and Group Dynamics.