An Exploratory Study of Free / Libre / Open Source Software Organizations

Abstract

Growing research on the adoption of a FLOSS ecosystem among novice adopters have been seen during the last decade. However, due to the increasing rise of novice adopters such as FLOSS organizations, firms, individual developers, users and researchers who are wishing to adopt a FLOSS ecosystem, it is important to know how different FLOSS components (i.e. FLOSS organizations and projects) within a FLOSS ecosystem evolve and what are the core reasons/factors that influences their evolution. In this research study, we will use Theoretical Saturation Grounded Theory approach to collect and analyze all relevant data i n order to determine, some of the key attributes of different FLOSS organizations,organizations roles in FLOSS projects and furthermore, u sing developer multihoming concept, we will be able to determine the r elationship among FLOSS organizations. O ur findings will be useful to guide the future novice adopters with an understanding of a FLOSS organization, FLOSS organizations role in FLOSS projects and some of the key reasons that influences the relationships among FLOSS organizations from multihoming perspective, before they learn (or) join in an existing ecosystem (or) build their own FLOSS ecosystem.