From a Firm-Based to a Community-Based Model of Knowledge Creation: The Case of the Linux Kernel Development

We propose a new model of knowledge creation in purposeful, loosely coordinated, distributed systems, as an alternative to a firm-based one. Specifically, using the case of the Linux kernel development project, we build a model of community-based, evolutionary knowledge creation to study how thousands of talented volunteers, dispersed across organizational and geographical boundaries, collaborate via the Internet to produce a knowledge-intensive, innovative product of high quality. By comparing and contrasting the Linux model with the traditional/commercial model of software development and firmbased knowledge creation efforts, we show how the proposed model of knowledge creation expands beyond the boundary of…