Loosen control without losing control: Formalization and decentralization within commons-based peer production.

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Sociology
• Organizational Studies

Background:

• Commons-based peer production (CBPP) research often oversimplifies free/libre open-source software (FLOSS) communities.
• Previous studies have not fully explored the complex organizational dynamics within FLOSS development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the organizational processes of the Drupal community, a prominent CBPP example.
• To investigate the sociotechnical systems underpinning Drupal's development and community events.
• To address criticisms of simplistic research by integrating CBPP theory with qualitative analysis.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study of Drupal's organizational processes.
• Examination of sociotechnical systems in both software development and face-to-face events.
• Analysis of organizational structure evolution.

Main Results:

• Identified intertwined dynamics of formalization and decentralization in Drupal's organization.
• Revealed coexisting sociotechnical systems with varying degrees of organicity.
• Demonstrated a nuanced understanding of CBPP within a FLOSS community.

Conclusions:

• Drupal's organizational structure is characterized by a dynamic interplay between formalization and decentralization.
• The community exhibits multiple, coexisting sociotechnical systems, challenging monolithic views of CBPP.
• This study provides a more sophisticated framework for understanding organizational evolution in open-source software projects.