Open Source Software Development: Communities' Impact On Public Good

This study examines the innovation output of software development that produces public goods. We use resource dependence theory and collective action theory to explain the effects of interconnectedness on open source software (OSS) communities, and on contributions to public goods. We empirically test our proposals using an eight-year panel dataset on OSS projects based on the Eclipse Foundation, and conclude that interconnectedness negatively affects community mobilization and its contributions to public goods.