Free/Libre Open Source Software development in developing and developed countries: A conceptual framework with an exploratory study

Abstract

We propose a conceptual framework to understand drivers of motivation for developers in Free/Libre Open Source Software (FL/OSS) development across geographic boundaries. We identify generic motivations (such as sharing and learning, financial and career concerns, and satisfying functional needs), and project-level preferences (such as preferences for large teams, modular and universal projects), as well as the links between the two types of preferences of FL/OSS developers in three regions — North America, China, and India. Our findings from an exploratory study indicate the presence of intrinsic motives in all three regions, with North American developers exhibiting stronger intrinsic motives such as sharing and learning. Project-level preferences differ considerably across the three samples. Finally, we observe that generic motivational factors are related to project-level preferences, although differently in the three regions. For instance, Chinese developers, who are driven by intrinsic motives, are drawn toward projects that are larger in scale, more modular, and universal in nature. In contrast, Indian developers with similar project preferences are mostly motivated by extrinsic motivations.