Sladjana Vujovic is a visiting scholar here at Scancor / Stanford University, and because I find her research into open innovation to be both interesting and none the least important, I asked her for a mini-interview about her research.
Course why is it that we only learn about interesting research projects when they are all over and done with? In the future I will therefore keep you informed about interesting research in the making that I come across on my own innovation research journey.... And I am proud to hereby present my first innovation research in the making interview with Sladjana Vujovic:
Tell me about your research project?
My PhD thesis is about user-driven product development and innovation. The case I am studying is an Open Source Software (OSS) project. The purpose of my study is to offer insight into Open Source phenomenon through enhanced understanding of Open Source cooperation and product development seen from an organizational perspective – and to provide a meaningful guide to action for managers based on this study.
What are the primary findings?
I am only at the beginning of the data analysis. Hence, I do not have any concrete results yet, but I have made some interesting observations so far. One of them is the issue of recruiting the right people. Since OSS projects are based on voluntary participation, the challenge consists in how to attract the right people for the teams and how to fill out different roles.
Another thing I find both relevant and interesting has to do with the role of computer-mediated communication. There are some indications that some forms of online communication (which are actually used a lot by OSS communities) may not be best suited for an effective cooperation, decision making, discussions, execution and coordination of tasks. Furthermore, the world of virtuality creates an environment from which it is easy to disappear, when needed.
This thus has consequences for a person’s feeling of commitment compared to a traditional work place, where face-to-face communication and physical contact are present. Those are only a few of my observations… but more on them when I finish the analysis.
What are the potential implications of those findings?
Managers need to realize that embarking on the open innovation journey implies different strategic choices between different strategies, and that it will mean increasingly having to balance the need for secrecy with the need for openness, as well as reconsidering the role and potential of their competitors and customers, who, in an open-source innovation context, may prove to be important partners.
From a strategic point of view, the OS-based alternative points to a need for a redefinition of the business model to take account of the fact that the focus of value creation has two loci of interest. One is related to the product itself. However, the associated incentive here is not directly financial (as in the traditional business model) but is indirectly of financial value, in the form of education and training (for the developer) and a higher degree of customer satisfaction (inasmuch as there will be no features the user has not asked for). Moreover, the direct financial focus of such a different business model will have to move further down the value chain to embrace new supporting consultancy and/or support services.
Where can I find more information about your research?
You can find more information on the Århus Business School Website: or by contacting me via email
Comments