Capabilities for Open Source Innovation

Conference: OpenStack Days Nordic
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Slides: PDF
Video: YouTube

Description: Claims that open source software accelerates technology innovation are frequently published in the media, but rarely substantiated. Understanding the role that open source software plays in technology innovation requires an exploration first of the literature on technology innovation, and second of the literature on open source in the context of technology strategy. We are particularly interested in the organizational capabilities that make companies successful at technology innovation, and the organizational capabilities that make companies successful at open source, and the relation between the two sets of capabilities. Grounding the analysis in past research demystifies the association of open source with accelerating innovation, revealing that the behaviors regarded as best practice in open source are also behaviors that improve a company’s ability to innovate at technology in general.