Open source innovation networks: exploring high and low-density models

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Date
2012-07
Authors
Feller, Joseph
Morgan, Lorraine
Finnegan, Patrick
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Association for Information Systems (AIS)
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Research Projects
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Abstract
The concept of open innovation, of which open source software is a well-cited example, has grown in popularity over the past decade. Firms engaged in open innovation leverage external knowledge to accelerate innovation and exploit innovation more effectively. One way in which firms can connect with external sources of knowledge is by participating in value networks with a multitude of external stakeholders. Nevertheless, there are few studies of open innovation value networks, with relatively little known about the characteristics that impact such networks. We seek to address this gap by exploring the networking arrangements of eight European firms that have a formal strategy around open source software (OSS). The findings reveal that firms selectively engage in two types of value networks in order to benefit from open collaboration and innovation – one a high-density network comprising a limited number of familiar partners, the other a low-density network comprising a larger number of often unknown partners. Additionally, these networks are influenced by certain characteristics such as the level of commitment, knowledge exchange, the alignment of objectives and governance.
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Keywords
Innovation network , Open innovation , Open source software
Citation
Morgan, L., Feller, J. and Finnegan, P. (2012) 'Open Source Innovation Networks: Exploring High and Low-density Models', PACIS 2012: 16th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, 11-15 July Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, PACIS 2012 Proceedings, 175. Available online at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2012/175/
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© Association for Information Systems 2012.