[Air-l] New papers on freesoftware.mit.edu | opensource.mit.edu

[Karim R. Lakhani]

<apologies for X-posting>
Hi All

The following papers have been posted to our website.  Thanks to all the
authors for their submissions!

See you all in the New Year!

~Karim~


PAPER 1

Author:
Vadén Tere

Title:
Intellectual Property, Open Source and Free Software
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/vaden.pdf

Abstract
The notion of intellectual property is used in order to create digital
commodities. While the commodification of code is useful for certain
kinds of knowledge intesive work (the Taylorist forms), it severely
disrupts other types of knowledge creation. Applying Scott Lash's
division of knowledge creation into organisational and disorganisational
types, we also gain insight into the different positions towards IP held
by different wings of the FOSS community.

PAPER 2

Authors:
Garzarelli, Giampaolo & Roberto Galoppini

Title:
Capability Coordination in Modular Organization: Voluntary FS/OSS
Production and the Case of Debian GNU/Linux
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/garzarelligaloppini.pdf

Abstract:
The paper analyzes voluntary Free Software/Open Source Software (FS/OSS)
organization of work. The empirical setting considered is the Debian
GNU/Linux operating system. The paper finds that the production process
is hierarchical notwithstanding the modular (nearly decomposable)
architecture of software and of voluntary FS/OSS organization. But
voluntary FS/OSS project organization is not hierarchical for the same
reasons suggested by the most familiar theories of economic
organization: hierarchy is justified for coordination of continuous
change, rather than for the direction of static production. Hierarchy is
ultimately the overhead attached to the benefits engendered by modular
organization.

PAPER 3

Author:
Modica, Salvatore

Title:
Knowledge Transfer in R&D Outsourcing (and Linux-Vs-Windows)
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/modica.pdf

Abstract:
Why did Microsoft not hire all those smart programmers who ended up
developing Linux through the internet? Because, we answer, the value of
the information about its operating system that Microsoft should have
transferred to any of them to render her productive would have been too
high compared to her expected individual contribution, so that after
writing a contract with Microsoft the typical developer would have run
away to sell the acquired knowledge on the market. On the other hand,
knowledge transfer in R&D outsourcing is not always so critical, and for
example in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries research contracts
are extensively used, usually in the context of a long term relationship
between firm and innovator. We analyze this kind of repeated
interaction, and find that when the knowledge-transfer problem is not
blocking, the firm should transfer to the innovator as much information
as it is compatible with the latter's incentive constraints.

PAPER 4
Author
Dafermos, George
Title:
Blogging the Market
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/dafermos3.pdf

Abstract:
Weblogs have been recently characterised as the "open source media". And
in much the same way that open source software is been deployed,
marketed and sold within both commercial and non-commercial contexts,
weblogs can advance both commercial and non-commercial objectives.
However, in this primary - research paper, the focus is on the benefits
that organisations can seize by embracing weblogs, and how weblogs are
bound to revitalise marketplace and workplace conversations. In
addition, several case studies are being analysed, ranging from Slashdot
and Openflows to Amazon, Macromedia, Groove Networks, and Gizmodo.

PAPER 5
Author:
McCormick, Chip

Title:
The Big Project That Never Ends': Role and Task Negotiation Within an
Emerging Occupational Community (Dissertation in progress)
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/mccormick.pdf

Abstract:
This dissertation involved in-depth interviews of over fifty open source
developers in two major open source projects. The primary areas of
interest were 1) conducting an ethnographic study of the work practices
and culture of 'post-burecratic' organizations to see what lessons these
groups may hold for managing intellectual labor and 2) examining whether
the open source movement represents a new professional model for
software engineering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAPER 6
Updated Paper
Author:
Chiao, Benjamin Hak-Fung

Title:
An Economic Theory of Free and Open Source Software: A Tour from
Lighthouse to Chinese-Style Socialism (revised version)
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/chiao.pdf

Abstract
The theory is that free and open source software is private property
under the guise of common property. Such software is distributed mostly
under the GNU General Public License. The intents in The GNU Manifesto
suggest striking similarities between this license and communism. The
resulting economic properties, however, are similar to those of
Chinese-style socialism: both resulted from an increased separation of
legal and economic ownership. The phenomenal growth of China in the last
twenty five years and of such software in the past few years could be
attributed to such separation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAPER 7
Abstract Submission
Author:
Muffatto, Moreno & Matteo Faldani

Title:
Open Source as a Complex Adaptive System - Published in Emergence 5 (3)
http://www.emergence.org/


Abstract:
The Open Source community and its activities can be considered to have
the characteristics of a system. The Open Source system is distinctive
because it is neither controlled by a central authority that defines
strategy and organization nor totally chaotic. It can be placed at a
middle position between a planned system and a chaotic one. In this sort
of position there are non-formal rules which allow the system to produce
significant results. The Complex Adaptive System theory can be used to
better understand and analyze the Open Source system. This work presents
a description of the main characteristics of the functioning of the Open
Source community regarding its organizational structure and development
process. The concept of complex adaptive system is then introduced and
its functioning mechanisms briefly described. Finally, we will interpret
the characteristics of the Open Source community in the context of
complex adaptive systems theory.

-- 
===============================================
Karim R. Lakhani
MIT Sloan School of Management
&
The Boston Consulting Group, Strategy Practice Initiative
e-mail: karim.lakhani at sloan.mit.edu | lakhani.karim at bcg.com
voice:  617-851-1224
fax:    617-344-0403
http://spoudaiospaizen.net/
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