Episode 192: Open Source Development: Perspectives From Management Science
Software Engineering Radio - the podcast for professional software developers
Deep Dive
Why did Professor Georg von Krogh become interested in open source development?
He was fascinated by open source as a new, effective, and efficient model of innovation, termed 'private collective innovation,' which solves the incentive problem of creating public goods.
What is the concept of 'private collective innovation' in open source development?
It refers to private contributors, like individuals and firms, providing work and software to a public good innovation, where the software is freely usable by anyone without interference.
How has the state of open source development evolved over the past decade?
It has seen explosive growth in both contributors and projects, with over 1 million people involved in more than 100,000 software projects on platforms like SourceForge.
What characterizes successful open source projects in terms of management?
They typically have a small, coherent core development team that reviews contributions from a larger community of collaborators, ensuring quality and sustainability.
What motivates open source developers?
They are often driven by a combination of intrinsic motivation (enjoyment, learning, and peer recognition) and extrinsic motivation (financial rewards and career advancement).
What benefits do companies gain from allowing employees to participate in open source development?
They can influence the direction of open source software, test and refine in-house work, gain reputation, and provide a low-cost test bed for software development ideas.
What are the main challenges facing future open source projects?
The increasing fragmentation of the open source landscape, including a proliferation of new projects and code forks, which can lead to resource waste and missed innovation opportunities.
What impact has open source development had on society?
It has enabled broader participation in software development, provided access to quality software, and demonstrated the viability of combining traditional intellectual property regimes with open innovation models.
What are the key open research questions in management science regarding open source development?
Understanding the full range of motivations across all open source developers and exploring additional motivational factors beyond intrinsic and extrinsic drivers.
Shownotes Transcript