The sustainability of open source commons

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Curto-Millet, Daniel; Corsín Jiménez, Alberto

Abstract: The sustainability of commons has benefited from Elinor Ostrom´s analysis of sha ... Expand

Abstract: The sustainability of commons has benefited from Elinor Ostrom´s analysis of shared resources. In her work, sustainability was described in a univocal manner–successful or not–depending on the common’s long-term capacity to survive within an uncertain environment. In recent years, this view of sustainability has been applied to the study of digital commons, including open source. Building on more recent work on sustainability, this paper challenges this univocal conception of sustainability in open source. Through a critical review of the literature, it unveils the coexistence of multiple notions of sustainability in open source and proposes a typology of sustainabilities (resource-based, infrastructural, and interactional). We propose that the degree and quality of the interrelationship between these different types of sustainability need to be explored, leading to the theorisation of three possible scenarios (trade-offs, synergy, and independence). We discuss and put forward a research agenda. Collapse

Topics: open source Sustainable Development Goal innovation management open source software project

Methods: theory development literature study interpretative method

Of Founders and Contributors: The Construction of Authority through Personal Data Digitalization

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Curto-Millet, Daniel; Tona, Olgerta

Abstract: ... Expand

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Topics: open source open source software project digital platform decision making Linux

Methods: archival research literature sample digital trace data theory development case study

Impact of Open-Source Community on Cryptocurrency Market Price: An Empirical Investigation

2023 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Petryk, Mariia; Qiu, Liangfei; Pathak, Praveen

Abstract: Although the prices of cryptocurrencies remained volatile for the past decade, t ... Expand

Abstract: Although the prices of cryptocurrencies remained volatile for the past decade, the factors that impact the price dynamics of the new type of investment instrument have not been fully identified yet. In this study, we recognize the dual nature of cryptocurrencies, that is, being a software program and a financial instrument, and examine the impact of software advancement on the price dynamics of cryptocurrencies. The open-source software (OSS) platform functionality enables social behaviors that we use as signals. Using data from the largest OSS platform, we establish the connection between open-source activities and the price movement of cryptocurrency. In particular, as project popularity (forks and watches) and users' feedback (issues) increase, the market price increases by 4.3 percent, 2.4 percent, and 4.4 percent per annum, respectively. On the contrary, the number of code corrections (pull requests) is negatively related to prices leading to a 5 percent annual price decrease. Our results suggest that OSS contributions create a perfect selection mechanism, where higher quality projects receive more developers' attention and user feedback, whereas lower quality projects do not, thus creating the separating equilibrium. Collapse

Topics: cryptocurrency open source IT project systems development system quality

Methods: instrumental variables estimation longitudinal research computational algorithm theory development autocorrelation analysis

Theories: lemon market theory signaling theory

Act and Reflect: Integrating Reflection into Design Thinking

2023 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Schoormann, Thorsten; Stadtländer, Maren; Knackstedt, Ralf

Abstract: Teams working on creative projects, such as design thinking, mostly face complex ... Expand

Abstract: Teams working on creative projects, such as design thinking, mostly face complex problems as well as challenging situations characterized by uniqueness and value conflicts. To cope with these characteristics, teams usually start doing something by drawing on their current store of experiences and professional knowledge, and then (re-)assess the outcomes produced, and adjust future actions based on insights obtained during the process. In reflecting on actions, tacit knowledge is revealed that enables designers to handle challenging situations. Although there is great potential to support design thinking by adding a reflection lens, we lack guidance on how, when, and on what to perform reflection. Based on scientific and theoretical literature, semi-structured interviews, a case study and a software prototype, prescriptive design knowledge on how to integrate reflection into design thinking is deduced, which enriches the scarce body of knowledge at the intersection of reflection and (digital) design thinking. Collapse

Topics: design thinking database system system support open source software project open source

Methods: design methodology design artifact design principle design science literature study

Algorithmic Interactions in Open Source Work

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Shaikh, Maha; Vaast, Emmanuelle

Abstract: This study focuses on algorithmic interactions in open source work. Algorithms a ... Expand

Abstract: This study focuses on algorithmic interactions in open source work. Algorithms are essential in open source because they remedy concerns incompletely addressed by parallel development or modularity. Following algorithmic interactions in open source allows us to map the performance of algorithms to understand the nature of work conducted by multiple algorithms functioning together. We zoom to the level of algorithmic interactions to show how residual interdependencies of modularity are worked around by algorithms. Moreover, the dependence on parallel development does not suffice to resolve all concerns related to the distributed work of open source. We examine the Linux Kernel case that reveals how algorithmic interactions facilitate open source work through the three processes of managing, organizing, and supervising development work. Our qualitative study theorizes how algorithmic interactions intensify through these processes that work together to facilitate development. We make a theoretical contribution to open source scholarship by explaining how algorithmic interactions navigate across module rigidity and enhance parallel development. Our work also reveals how, in open source, developers work to automate most tasks and augmentation is a bidirectional relationship of algorithms augmenting the work of developers and of developers augmenting the work of algorithms.History: Hemant Jain, Balaji Padmanabhan, Paul Pavlou, and Raghu Santanam, Senior Editors; Likoebe Maruping, Associate Editor.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1153. Collapse

Topics: open source Linux platform work electronic mail robotic

Methods: computational algorithm theory development qualitative interview literature study theoretical contribution

Towards understanding open-coopetition – Lessons from the automotive industry

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Teixeira, Jose

Abstract: Products are often co-developed in networks that embed multiple organizations. ... Expand

Abstract: Products are often co-developed in networks that embed multiple organizations. Paradoxically, such product development networks can tie rival and competing firms that cooperate with each other in an open-source way. The management of such modus operandi, where firms give up some intellectual property rights granted by law and work with competitors in an open-source way, can be very challenging as it can lead to commoditization, free-riding, and unintended spillover effects. Building upon extant knowledge in coopetition, open-source software, product development, and innovation, we conducted an exploratory case study aimed at understanding open-coopetition (i.e., cooperation among competitors in an open-source way) in the automotive industry. To do so, we leveraged publicly available naturally occurring digital data and qualitative interviews pertaining to four coopetitive open-source projects. Out preliminary results highlight the increasing complexity of the software that powers modern cars and consequent convergence of the automotive industry with the software industry. Collapse

Topics: open source open source software project new product development Linux open source community

Methods: qualitative interview archival research case study triangulation machine learning

DyPolDroid: Protecting Against Permission-Abuse Attacks in Android

2023 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Rubio-Medrano, Carlos E.; Soundrapandian, Pradeep Kumar Duraisamy; Hill, Matthew; Claramunt, Luis; Baek, Jaejong; S, Geetha; Ahn, Gail-Joon

Abstract: Android applications are extremely popular, as they are widely used for banking, ... Expand

Abstract: Android applications are extremely popular, as they are widely used for banking, social media, e-commerce, etc. Such applications typically leverage a series of Permissions, which serve as a convenient abstraction for mediating access to security-sensitive functionality within the Android Ecosystem, e.g., sending data over the Internet. However, several malicious applications have recently deployed attacks such as data leaks and spurious credit card charges by abusing the Permissions granted initially to them by unaware users in good faith. To alleviate this pressing concern, we present DyPolDroid, a dynamic and semi-automated security framework that builds upon Android Enterprise, a device-management framework for organizations, to allow for users and administrators to design and enforce so-called Counter-Policies, a convenient user-friendly abstraction to restrict the sets of Permissions granted to potential malicious applications, thus effectively protecting against serious attacks without requiring advanced security and technical expertise. Additionally, as a part of our experimental procedures, we introduce Laverna, a fully operational application that uses permissions to provide benign functionality at the same time it also abuses them for malicious purposes. To fully support the reproducibility of our results, and to encourage future work, the source code of both DyPolDroid and Laverna is publicly available as open-source. Collapse

Topics: mobile application Android bring your own device digital distribution mobile application market

Methods: experimental task computational algorithm experiment design artifact literature study

Open Innovation via Open Source: Collaboration of Companies to Infuse Automobiles with Digital Technologies

2022 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Ahuja, Vinod; Kazantsev, Nikolai; Plattfaut, Ralf

Abstract: Open innovation is a process through which companies open their borders and col ... Expand

Abstract: Open innovation is a process through which companies open their borders and collaborate with external stakeholders like open source communities to bring new ideas and develop novel digital technologies to gain a competitive position. In this paper, we studied an open source project, i.e., Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) -a Linux Foundation project started by automobile manufacturers and technology companies to innovate technologies for automobiles. By analyzing the code contribution of AGL, we show that much of the code contribution is made by external companies supplying technology to automotive companies and later using the open innovation process to benefit from it. We find evidence that automobile manufacturers engage in open source communities for outside-in, inside-out, and coupled open innovation. As such, this paper shows to managers in larger companies the importance of open source as a way to do open innovation. Collapse

Topics: open source open innovation blog Linux wiki

Methods: qualitative interview

Sustained participation in open source: A psychological contract approach

2022 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Cañibano, Almudena; Curto-Millet, Daniel; Rojahn, Lukas

Abstract: We propose the use of the psychological contract as an alternative theoretical l ... Expand

Abstract: We propose the use of the psychological contract as an alternative theoretical lens to study sustained participation and engagement in open source, which is often used as an example of new forms of digitized independent work. Psychological contracts are the set of beliefs held by individuals of their personal exchange with an organization and other actors with which they work. While previous literature has tended to study inducements (e.g., intrinsic or extrinsic motivation) on its own, the psychological contract studies the relation between an individual’s expected inducements and contributions. If these expectations are unmet, a breach can take place that will affect contributor engagement. We suggest the usefulness of this theory in understanding why and how open source participants decide to stop or reduce their involvement. Participants hold multiple psychological contracts with the project, fellow developers, and users. The findings show that breach can be experienced with all of them either due to unmet contributions or inducements. We suggest further research into such breaches is required to understand their consequences on the sustainability of open source projects. Collapse

Topics: open source electronic mail open source software project individual characteristic IT career

Methods: case study theory development

Theories: social exchange theory contract theory

Enhancing Hybrid OSS Development Through Agile Methods and High Media Synchronicity

2022 | ACM SIGMIS Database | Citations: 0

Authors: Chengalur-Smith, InduShobha; Nevo, Saggi; Fitzgerald, Brian

Abstract: Open source software (OSS) is increasingly being developed by hybrid teams that ... Expand

Abstract: Open source software (OSS) is increasingly being developed by hybrid teams that consist of a mix of company employees and volunteer developers. While hybrid OSS teams are becoming more prevalent, they also face unique challenges due to the involvement of different constituents. To address those challenges, this paper develops and validates a new organizing model. Specifically, the paper draws on media synchronicity theory (MST) to theorize that hybrid OSS teams would benefit from adopting an organizing model that involves practicing agile methods and using communication tools with multiple symbols sets and high transmission velocity. The paper also extends MST by conceptualizing the theory's key concept of communication convergence as consisting of two distinct dimensions: affective and cognitive convergence. Using primary survey data from hybrid OSS teams, the paper presents empirical evidence that such an organizing model can enhance those teams' affective convergence and cognitive convergence and, in turn, their development productivity and the quality of the software. In addition, the results show that affective convergence has a stronger impact on hybrid OSS teams' performance than cognitive convergence. Collapse

Topics: agile software development productivity communication service infrastructure systems development Scrum

Methods: survey design methodology data transformation robustness check descriptive statistic

Theories: media synchronicity theory