Knowledge and resource sharing in free and open source software community environments

Schofield, AJ

Abstract

This thesis describes a research study which investigated on-line communities based
around Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) support and development.
Specifically, the study examined how knowledge and resources are shared within
these communities. Emphasis was placed on the issues of organisation and
governance of these communities, collaboration, and the motivation of the
participants involved. The research was carried out from an interpretive philosophical
perspective and was therefore exploratory in nature, focusing on the perspectives of
FOSS community participants. Following an in-depth literature review on the topics
of FOSS and Knowledge Management, a multi-method approach was employed using
three data collection techniques; an on-line questionnaire targeting participants in
FOSS interest groups and communities, interviews with community participants and
observation of two FOSS communities.
The results of the research have revealed interesting findings relating to the social,
managerial and technological mechanisms which facilitate knowledge transfer and
creation in FOSS communities, and the important role that leadership styles,
participant motivations, organisational structures and cultures, degrees of formality,
relationships between participants and the use of information technology have to play
in the success or failure of FOSS projects and communities. The research has shown
that extremely strict or relaxed forms of leadership are likely to cause problems in a
project and community, that a wide array of motivational factors drive participants,
that many and varied forms of organisational structure and cultures exist, often
influenced by leadership styles, that levels of formality in a community can have
significant effects on knowledge sharing and collaboration, that social interaction acts
as a foundation for FOSS activities but has little significance beyond that, and that to
a certain extent, disagreements and arguments between participants and even project
forking can be beneficial to a FOSS project and community. A generic finding was
that FOSS communities vary considerably, based on the factors described above. This
research therefore goes some way towards creating a generic model of FOSS
communities and projects and specifies a number of 'recipes' for project and/or
community success.

Citation

Schofield, A. Knowledge and resource sharing in free and open source software community environments. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2010