A growing body of literature describes the open source phenomenon in the software industry. Drawing on transaction cost economics, we propose that open source projects illustrate a new generic governance structure -- which we label bazaar governance -- based on a specific legal contract: the open licence. We characterize this structure in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and compare it to market, firm and network forms. Low levels of control and weak incentives intensity are distinctive features of bazaar, lending a high uncertainty to governed transactions. However, bazaar governance promotes the openness of open source communities, which can generate strong positive network externalities and subsequent efficiency in cumulative transactions. Our theoretical developments offer a potential basis for future research.
Beschreibung
Neither Market nor Hierarchy nor Network: The Emergence of Bazaar Governance -- Demil and Lecocq 27 (10): 1447 -- Organization Studies
%0 Journal Article
%1 BenoitDemil10012006
%A Demil, Benoit
%A Lecocq, Xavier
%D 2006
%J Organization Studies
%K bakk_07_governance bakk_07_open_source bazaar_economics co-production governance media_economics open-data open_source
%N 10
%P 1447-1466
%R 10.1177/0170840606067250
%T Neither Market nor Hierarchy nor Network: The Emergence of Bazaar Governance
%U http://oss.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/10/1447
%V 27
%X A growing body of literature describes the open source phenomenon in the software industry. Drawing on transaction cost economics, we propose that open source projects illustrate a new generic governance structure -- which we label bazaar governance -- based on a specific legal contract: the open licence. We characterize this structure in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and compare it to market, firm and network forms. Low levels of control and weak incentives intensity are distinctive features of bazaar, lending a high uncertainty to governed transactions. However, bazaar governance promotes the openness of open source communities, which can generate strong positive network externalities and subsequent efficiency in cumulative transactions. Our theoretical developments offer a potential basis for future research.
@article{BenoitDemil10012006,
abstract = {A growing body of literature describes the open source phenomenon in the software industry. Drawing on transaction cost economics, we propose that open source projects illustrate a new generic governance structure -- which we label bazaar governance -- based on a specific legal contract: the open licence. We characterize this structure in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and compare it to market, firm and network forms. Low levels of control and weak incentives intensity are distinctive features of bazaar, lending a high uncertainty to governed transactions. However, bazaar governance promotes the openness of open source communities, which can generate strong positive network externalities and subsequent efficiency in cumulative transactions. Our theoretical developments offer a potential basis for future research.
},
added-at = {2008-05-28T14:30:19.000+0200},
author = {Demil, Benoit and Lecocq, Xavier},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2b770047a53561019edd2e5e432c5f1ef/taspel},
description = {Neither Market nor Hierarchy nor Network: The Emergence of Bazaar Governance -- Demil and Lecocq 27 (10): 1447 -- Organization Studies},
doi = {10.1177/0170840606067250},
eprint = {http://oss.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/27/10/1447.pdf},
interhash = {d9021176203e5561008b858ea42b6df2},
intrahash = {b770047a53561019edd2e5e432c5f1ef},
journal = {Organization Studies},
keywords = {bakk_07_governance bakk_07_open_source bazaar_economics co-production governance media_economics open-data open_source},
number = 10,
pages = {1447-1466},
timestamp = {2008-05-28T14:30:20.000+0200},
title = {{Neither Market nor Hierarchy nor Network: The Emergence of Bazaar Governance}},
url = {http://oss.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/10/1447},
volume = 27,
year = 2006
}