Information systems success is one of the most widely used dependent variables in information systems (IS) research, but research on free/libre and open source software (FLOSS) often fails to appropriately conceptualize this important concept. In this article, we reconsider what success means within a FLOSS context. We first review existing models of IS success and success variables used in FLOSS research and assess them for their usefulness, practicality and fit to the FLOSS context. Then, drawing on a theoretical model of group effectiveness in the FLOSS development process, as well as an on-line discussion with developers, we present additional concepts that are central to an appropriate understanding of success for FLOSS. In order to examine the practicality and validity of this conceptual scheme, the second half of our article presents an empirical study that demonstrates operationalizations of the chosen measures and assesses their internal validity. We use data from SourceForge to measure the project’s effectiveness in team building, the speed of the project at responding to bug reports and the project’s popularity. We conclude by discussing the implications of this study for our proposed extension of IS success in the context of FLOSS development and highlight future

Project success is one of the most widely used dependent variables in information systems research. However, conventional measures of project success are difficult to apply to Free/Libre Open Source Software projects. In this paper, we present an analysis of four measures of success applied to SourceForge projects: number of members of the extended development community, project activity, bug fixing time and number of downloads. We argue that these four measures provide different insights into the collaboration and control mechanisms of the projects.

Some free software projects have been extremely successful. This rise to prominence can be attributed to the high quality and suitability of the software. This quality and suitability is achieved through an elaborate peer-review process performed by a large community of users, who act as co-developers to identify and correct software defects and add features. Although this process is crucial to the success of free software projects, there is more to the free software development than the creation of a ‘bazaar’. In this paper we draw on existing free software projects to define a lifecycle model for free software. This paper then explores each phase of the lifecycle model and agrees that, while the bazaar phase attracts the most attention, it is the initial modular design that accommodates diverse interventions. Moreover, it is the period of transition from the initial group to the larger community based development that is crucial in determining whether a free software project will succeed or fail. 2

Most Open Source Software projects fail, while only very few succeed. In this study, we examine the factors that may influence the success or failure of OSS projects. We particularly focus on OSS core developer roles. We separate core developers from other developers in the community and empirically examine their different roles. Based on our analysis of a data set comprising 300 open source projects, we demonstrate that both core-developer leadership and project-advocating activities are crucial in the development of OSS projects. This research also offers insight into the sustainability of OSS development and provides advice to practitioners in the OSS community on how to make their projects successful.

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We assume that open source communities or collectives are somewhat organized, we also assume that such collectives are capable of learning, and indeed do learn. However, it is far more difficult to say exactly where, when and how such learning occurs, or resulting (re-)organizing happens. Drawing on Clegg et al’s [1] concept of learning and becoming this paper seeks to show, through a case study of the Linux discussion around version control software, how learning and organizing occur. The paper discusses the Linux community’s engagement with BitKeeper and explains aspects of its adoption. In this we address version control software as not merely a collaborative, organizing vehicle but as a part of a generative duality.

For global companies that compete in high-velocity industries, business strategies and initiatives change rapidly, and thus the CIO struggles to keep the IT organization aligned with a moving target. In this paper we report on research-in-progress that focuses on how the CIO attempts to meet this challenge. Specifically, we are conducting case studies to closely examine how toy industry CIOs develop their IT organizations ’ assets, competencies, and dynamic capabilities in alignment with their companies’ evolving strategy and business priorities (which constitute the “moving target”). We have chosen to study toy industry CIOs, because their companies compete in a global, high-velocity environment, yet this industry has been largely overlooked by the information systems research community. Early findings reveal that four IT application areas are seen as holding strong promise: supply chain management, knowledge management, data mining, and eCommerce, and that toy CIO’s are attempting to both cope with and capitalize on the current financial crisis by more aggressively pursuing offshore outsourcing than heretofore. We conclude with a discussion of next steps as the study proceeds.

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