Start Date
10-12-2017 12:00 AM
Description
In this paper, we seek to extend existing knowledge on the fluidity nature of open source software (OSS) communities. We propose a theoretical framework to explain how development processes from different OSS communities converge to multiplicity through their structural connectivity. We empirically investigate 200 OSS projects in terms of their process sequences and network structures where process variability is measured by sequence dissimilarity and developer mobility is captured by overlap of membership, respectively. We conclude that the structural connection between OSS communities through membership overlap is associated with the similarity between their development processes. Implications, limitations and future orientations of the research are provided.
Recommended Citation
Li, Xinyu and Zhou, Fang, "The Relationship Between Process Variability and Structural Connectivity in Open Source Software Development" (2017). ICIS 2017 Proceedings. 17.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2017/DigitalPlatforms/Presentations/17
The Relationship Between Process Variability and Structural Connectivity in Open Source Software Development
In this paper, we seek to extend existing knowledge on the fluidity nature of open source software (OSS) communities. We propose a theoretical framework to explain how development processes from different OSS communities converge to multiplicity through their structural connectivity. We empirically investigate 200 OSS projects in terms of their process sequences and network structures where process variability is measured by sequence dissimilarity and developer mobility is captured by overlap of membership, respectively. We conclude that the structural connection between OSS communities through membership overlap is associated with the similarity between their development processes. Implications, limitations and future orientations of the research are provided.