Capability Coordination in Modular Organization: Voluntary FSS/OSS Production and the Case of Debian GNU/Linux.

by Giampaolo Garzarelli and Roberto Galoppini.

Abstract/Summary

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.

References

URL

http://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/wuwpio/0312005.html

PDF

http://128.118.178.162/eps/io/papers/0312/0312005.pdf

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infoecopol.2008.05.001

BIBTeX

@TechReport{RePEc:wpa:wuwpio:0312005,
  author={Giampaolo Garzarelli and Roberto Galoppini},
  title={Capability Coordination in Modular Organization: Voluntary FS/OSS Production and the Case of Debian GNU/Linux},
  year=2003,
  month=Dec,
  institution={EconWPA},
  type={Industrial Organization},
  url={http://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/wuwpio/0312005.html;http://128.118.178.162/eps/io/papers/0312/0312005.pdf},
  number={0312005},
  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.},
  keywords={Modularity; hierarchy; capabilities; coordination costs; software.}
}

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