The Role of Open Source Software in Mastering Technologies of an Information System and Its Implication to Technology Transfer

The philosophy and practice of open source software (OSS) affected not only software production but also implementation and use. However, little is known about the intricacies of implementation and use of domain-specific, frontend information systems compared to production. Especially, empirical studies that examine the learning mechanisms in OSS implementation in developing countries are scant. This paper fills the gap by investigating the implementation of an OSS in a resource-constrained setting. Drawing upon communities of practice and networks of practice theories, the paper examines the mechanisms of the OSS approach that enable knowledge circulation, technology transfer, innovation, and sustainability, and interrogates the technology transfer conceptualization in the light of the approach. It also highlights the measures practitioners and policymakers should take to benefit from OSS.

The diffusion of innovation in project-based firms – linking the temporary and permanent levels of organisation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to address the problematic yet under-researched issue of the disconnectedness of the temporary and permanent levels of organisation in project-based firms in terms of learning and innovation diffusion. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a longitudinal case study of a pioneering French construction firm introducing the partnering method in France. Based on an abductive approach, the analytical framework combines insights of the literature on community and networks of practice to investigate the processes and mechanisms of diffusion of innovation in project-based firms. Findings The function of semi-permanent organisational levels in connecting the temporary and permanent levels of the firm – the communities of practice (CoPs) and network of practice (NoP) exists besides the formal organization of the firm. As a social learning process, innovation diffusion involves both formal (i.e. vertical) and informal (i.e. horizontal) forms of organising and learning. Intermediary and informal ways of organising enables the embedding of innovation both in terms of content and connections. Foremost, CoPs/NoPs contribute to relational embeddedness. Boundary actors and objects are essential in crossing the different levels of embeddedness to overcome the learning boundaries between temporary projects and the permanent firm. Research limitations/implications The investigation is built on a single case study and further empirical research is needed, preferably longitudinal case studies, as this allows greater capture of the diffusion process. The authors suggest further studies using practice-based perspectives to capture the formal and informal ways of organising innovation diffusion. Practical implications Managerial interventions should favour the development of the informal dynamics of community and networks to foster both innovation and its diffusion. The managerial challenge lies in creating the right prerequisites for the existence of both the informal community logics of organising and the formal top management decision-making, and to orchestrate their timing in the diffusion process. Social implications The study reveals the importance of both formal and informal networks in driving innovation. As such, project-based firms should be aware of these dynamics when striving for change. Originality/value The study contributes to the literatures on diffusion of innovation, project marketing and construction management. It includes new insights related to the function of intermediary and informal organisational levels of project-based organisations, the dynamics and connection between the temporary and permanent levels of the project-based firm related to communities and networks of practice, and the boundary spanning activities that are involved between the formal and informal levels of the firm.

The networked economy of firms in city-region peripheries

City-regions have become a core unit of analysis for spatial economy, providing an explicit link between bounded administrative units and more networked spaces of production. Too often, however, such analysis is focused on the core of the city-region, applying presumptions of gravity-based agglomeration. This paper examines these networked spaces of production from the city-region periphery, using a firm-based approach as critical determinants of spatial economy via their key interactions. Focused on the Greater Birmingham city-region, UK, the paper explores the integration of city-regional geography with firm-based networked economy. In doing so, it applies a set of networks of practice, focused on firms’ factored, transactional, and transitional dependencies. Using these networks of practice, it critically analyses the spaces of production formed through firm-based interactions, and their concomitance with city-regional designations. It makes two key contributions. First, it enhances the call for greater understanding of the relationship between core and periphery in the context of city-regions. Second, it argues that network-based approaches, which form spatial economy around firm interactions over administrative configurations, offer useful insight into understanding firm–place relationships which more conventional place-based approaches cannot.

Analysing Participation in Electronic Networks of Practice (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Electronic Networks of Practice (ENoP) are professional social networks in which professionals share knowledge, advice, and ideas with each other on challenges encountered in practice. Although different aspects of their use have been studied in the past ranging from the motivation of participants to the structure of emerging networks, very little is known about how professionals participate in ENoPs. OBJECTIVE This study proposes a comprehensive and detailed exploratory, conversation-based data analysis methodology to analyse closed, informal, and message-based ENoP participation, and also shows how this methodology can be used to study, develop, and maintain a well-connected and active ENoP. METHODS The proposed methodology includes a number of data analysis methods such as data clustering, social network analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), correlation analysis, content analysis, and conversation analysis. It is applied to a case study for an ENoP in breast cancer treatment for which participation is analysed and guidelines formulated. RESULTS The results show how the methodology can be applied to analyse informal and messages-based ENoP participation including a specific conversation extraction method, a specific social network elements extraction method, and a set of macro and micro measures with which to determine participation. Applying the proposed methodology to a case of an ENoP in breast cancer treatment results in a dataset of 51 extracted conversations in 1000 messages between 100 specialists in breast cancer treatment. The results show the network participation is higher when an active, central and well-known specialist starts a conversation; when feedback is acknowledged; when an initiator or other active, central and well-known specialists are involved in a conversation; and when a conversation does not overlap with another active and ongoing conversation. As another result, 5 dimensions and 5 clusters of conversations are defined and how they relate to ENoP participation. CONCLUSIONS The findings inform the research literature in five ways: (i) how to analyse informal and messages-based ENoP participation; (ii) the role members of ENoP, in particular, central members and admins play to keep a conversation alive; (iii) the way in which professionals engage in conversations; (iv) triggers for more active, engaging, continued user participation; (v) dimensions and attributes of conversations in ENoP and how they relate to ENoP participation. The methodology and guidelines together provide ENoP researchers, developers, admins, and expert members a means with which to study, develop, and maintain a well-connected and active ENoP.

Social Interactions in Electronic Networks of Practice

Electronic networks of practice and research around this social web 2.0 platform has gained traction within the last few years with the advances in social media technologies and their proliferated use. Therefore, this article examined the types of interactions within an electronic network of practice open to those within the software engineering field. This research found that narrative posts, with certain aesthetically appealing qualities, can allow better social learning and interaction in network discussion forums, thereby enabling richness of knowledge constructed. The use of dimensional analysis a qualitative framework enabled this research to develop a model to gain a comprehensive insight into various factors that contributed to social learning within networks of practice.

Social Media for Online Collaboration in Firms and Organizations

Participation in social networks has long been studied as a social phenomenon according to different theories. In particular, the notion of social capital highlights a person's benefit due to his relations with other persons, including family, colleagues, friends and generic contacts. It may be important both for the individuals that are able to accumulate large amounts, and for organizations. Nowadays, social networking systems bring many acquaintances online, both in the private and working spheres. Some systems are used both at home, for leisure goals, and on the work place, professionally. In the vast majority of cases, social networking platforms are still used without corporate blessing. However, several traditional information systems, such as CRMs and ERPs, have also been modified in order to include social aspects. This article shows the role of social capital in the participation in online social networking activities, in the various cases of Virtual Organizations, Virtual Teams, and online Networks of Practice. It describes the present situation, which is characterized by great promises and mixed initial results, and some possible prospects.

Individual Networks of Practice for PhD Research Socialisation

A PhD combines experiential learning of the research process with socialisation into the research community. Studying a PhD is a highly individual experience with each student seeking and receiving different types of support from different agents. In this paper we investigate the experiences of four PhD students at a Humanities faculty at a Thai university through a series of interviews. To account for the unique nature of each student’s experience, we use Individual Networks of Practice (INoPs) as the main method of analysis. The interviews were first analysed by adapting Sala-Bubaré and Castelló's (2016) model of socialisation, identifying the social agents and the content of the experience shared with each agent, and then constructing an INoP (Zappa-Hollman and Duff 2015) map to visually represent each student's social network. These INoPs served to guide a qualitative analysis of the salient issues in the interviews. The INoPs highlight the unique nature of each student's set of agents and experiences, but there are also commonalities across students showing that peers and faculty staff serve as key social agents.

“Seriously, I came here to study English”

While English plays a prominent role in universities across the globe, study abroad research has rarely considered English learning in non-Anglophone countries. This article presents a narrative case study of the experience of a Japanese exchange student in Thailand whose primary purpose for study abroad was to improve his English. Grounded in the notion of Individual Networks of Practice (Zappa-Hollman & Duff, 2015), the qualitative analysis will focus on the participant’s evolving social networks and reported communication practices as mediated through available subject positions and varying degrees of investment. Particularly, findings reveal the dissonance between his investment in native speaker English and the reality of using English as a lingua franca, which decidedly influenced the student’s (non-)participation in certain social groups and practices. Casting fresh light on globalization and language learning, the study offers a unique contribution to the study abroad literature and suggests avenues for further research and education.