A study of the governance of knowledge sharing in open-source communities

Purpose Open-source communities are platforms that promote knowledge sharing. The mitigation of open-source risks is crucial to these communities. Therefore, this article explores the governance mechanisms of knowledge sharing in open-source communities. Design/methodology/approach To answer the core research question – “What are the governance mechanisms of knowledge sharing in open-source communities?” – we conducted an in-depth case study analysis of two open-source communities based in China. Findings Two types of open-source communities were found: technology-driven communities and enterprise ecosystem-oriented communities. Hence, their governance mechanisms differed. For the former type, it was important to integrate social and commercial value to encourage knowledge exchange and enhance business scenarios through community-user experience. For the latter type, mutual collaboration and knowledge sharing could be fostered through differentiated layouts and the distributed collaboration of developers around data-driven innovation scenarios. This required the integration of individual and ecosystem value through value exchange. Originality/value This study advances our understanding of the coordinated development between founding firms and digital technology-based open-source communities. The findings offer important guidance to business practitioners seeking to manage knowledge-sharing activities during digital transformations.