Four new papers on opensource.mit.edu + One new thesis

Hello Community,

I have uploaded the following papers on our website.  Many thanks to all 
the authors for their submissions.

Best

Karim <freezing in Boston>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paper 1
Authors:
Fleming, Lee & David Waguespack

Title:
Penguins, Camels, and Other Birds of a Feather: Brokerage, Boundary 
Spanning, and Leadership in Open Innovation Communities
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/flemingwaguespack.pdf

Abstract:
What types of human and social capital identify the emergence of leaders 
of open innovation communities? Consistent with the norms of an 
engineering culture, we find that future leaders must first make strong 
technical contributions. Beyond technical contributions, they must then 
integrate their voluntary communities in order to avoid the ever present 
danger of forking and balkanization. This is enabled by two correlated 
but distinct social positions: brokerage, and boundary spanning between 
technological modules. An inherent lack of trust associated with 
brokerage positions can be overcome through physical interaction or 
contributions within technological boundaries. Successful leaders are 
thus the product of strong technical contribution and a structural 
position that can bind the community together.

Paper 2
Author:
Iannaci, Federico

Title:
Coordination Processes in Open Source Software Development: The Linux 
Case Study
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/iannacci3.pdf

Abstract:
Although open source projects have been subject to extensive study, 
their coordination processes are still poorly understood. Drawing on 
organization theory, this paper sets out to remedy this imbalance by 
showing that large-scale open source projects exhibit three main 
coordination mechanisms, namely standardization, loose coupling and 
partisan mutual adjustment. Implications in terms of 
electronically-mediated communications and networked interdependencies 
are discussed in the final sections where a new light is cast on the 
concept of structuring as a by-product of localized adjustments.


Paper 3
Author:
Shah, Sonali

Title:
Open Beyond Software
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/shah4.pdf

Abstract:
The "community-based" model has generated many of the innovations we use 
on a daily basis. The social structure created by this model has 
cultivated many entrepreneurial ventures and even seeded new industries 
and product categories. In this paper, I discuss three elements of this 
model and present four exemplars of the model that span fields and 
centuries. I conclude by reframing our view of the innovation process as 
driven by the activities of firms and research institutions and 
discussing implications for firms and policy.


Paper 4 (in Spanish)
Author:
Carlos Emilio Biscay

Title: Open Source en el e-learning: ¿Una cuestión de mente?
- Análisis del fenómeno del Open source en el e-learning, situación 
actualy tendencias -
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/biscay.pdf

Abstract
Primeramente vamos a ver ¿Qué es el Open source? ¿Cuáles son sus 
objetivos y sus características fundamentales?. En segundo lugar haremos 
un recorrido histórico de los últimos años, identificando los 
principales desarrollos del Open source y sus tendencias, especialmente 
en el área de la educación superior.
En tercer lugar mostramos el Proyecto Sakai, donde un grupo de 
Universidades de Primer nivel están uniendo fuerzas para integrar y para 
sincronizar su software educativo en una colección de herramientas de 
Open source para e-learning. A continuación haremos mencionaremos los 
principales aplicaciones de OS en general.
Seguidamente, he de tratar de poner de relieve los aspectos técnicos y
psicológicos que están presentes en el Open Source y sus protagonistas y 
las razones económicas, políticas y culturales que se vinculan o crean 
un contexto favorable al crecimiento de las soluciones de open source en 
el mercado y especialmente en mercado del e-learning.
Finalmente y como síntesis de estas cuestiones describimos el caso 
concreto de la Universidad de Wisconsin, que actualmente junto a otras 
instituciones educativas se ha sumado en el proyecto Sakai.


Bachelor's Thesis

Author:
Frost, Jonathon

Title:
Some Economic & Legal Aspects of Open Source Software
http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/frost.pdf

Abstract:
The emergence of open source software as a viable economic model has 
risen to the forefront in the debate on the future of the information 
technology industry. However, at first glance, the open source software 
development model is strikingly enigmatic and counterintuitive. To help 
better understand this phenomenon, this paper, through market data and 
economic theory, proceeds to ask and answer three related questions. 
First, what is the economic relationship between open source software 
development communities and proprietary software firms? Second, what are 
the resulting effects on market innovation and innovation incentives? 
And third, what legal mechanisms allow for the sustainability of open 
source software and should they be expanded or reduced? This paper 
concludes that open source activity appears to be generating four 
economic effects, whose net effect on innovation in the software market 
is ambiguous.

-- 
Karim R. Lakhani
MIT Sloan | The Boston Consulting Group
Mobile: +1 (617) 851-1224
http://spoudaiospaizen.net
http://web.mit.edu/lakhani/www | http://opensource.mit.edu