From a Firm-Based to a Community-Based Model of Knowledge Creation: The Case of the Linux Kernel Development
Open accessAbstract
We propose a new model of knowledge creation in purposeful, loosely coordinated, distributed systems, as an alternative to a firm-based one. Specifically, using the case of the Linux kernel development project, we build a model of community-based, evolutionary knowledge creation to study how thousands of talented volunteers, dispersed across organizational and geographical boundaries, collaborate via the Internet to produce a knowledge-intensive, innovative product of high quality. By comparing and contrasting the Linux model with the traditional/commercial model of software development and firmbased knowledge creation efforts, we show how the proposed model of knowledge creation expands beyond the boundary of the firm. Our model suggests that the product development process can be effectively organized as an evolutionary process of learning driven by criticism and error correction. We conclude by offering some theoretical implications of our community-based model of knowledge creation for the literature of organizational learning, community life, and the uses of knowledge in society.
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Debian, as well as other OSS communities like Apache or Linux, came up with new ways of organizing distributed work that differed from traditional work practices in professional organizations.
“As a respond to mounting organizational challenges Debian as well as other OSS communities like Apache or Linux, came up with new ways of organizing distributed work that differed from traditional work practices as experienced in professional organizations (Franke and von Hippel, 2003, Lee and Cole, 2003, Moon and Sproull, 2000).”
From Transition of governance in a mature open software source community: Evidence from the Debian case (2008) · cites this paper as Lee and Cole, 2003
The task structure of the Debian community differs from other OSS communities like Linux as the boundaries between core and periphery have been more difficult to trace.
“The task structure of the Debian community differs from other OSS communities like Linux (Lee and Cole, 2003) as the boundaries between core and periphery have been more difficult to trace.”
From Transition of governance in a mature open software source community: Evidence from the Debian case (2008) · cites this paper as Lee and Cole, 2003
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- Authors
- Lee, G. K., & Cole, R. E.
- Affiliations
- INSEAD (SG)
- Doshisha University (JP)
- Venue
- Organization Science
- Published
- 2003-12
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 633-649
- ISSN
- 1047-7039 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-5455
- OpenAlex
- W2111107104
- Cited by
- 713
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 49 · 2012: 50
- FWCI
- 55.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- papers.ssrn.com
- Locations
- Organization Science (publishedVersion)
- SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Open Source Software Innovations
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Innovation and Knowledge Management
- Social Sciences › Communication › Knowledge Management and Sharing
- Keywords
- knowledge production, open source software development, distributed systems, evolutionary learning, organizational learning, volunteer collaboration, error correction, commercial software development
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