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Governing for Growth in Scope

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Abstract

One of the early challenges for any peer production collective is how to govern the growth of new members or contributors. Scope growth was not a topic of concern when scholars were focused on understanding the emergence of peer production collectives as a phenomenon and on identifying the conditions enabling their growing prevalence. But, with the emergence of peer production communities addressing domains as diverse as problem solving at NASA; to engaging in other innovative and technical endeavors, the time has come to treat the topic of scope growth with the import it deserves. Scope growth is important to understanding the current and future challenges that maturing peer production collectives face for several reasons. Governance rights offer participants the opportunity to make decisions that affect the participation architecture, or the social, legal, and technical capabilities that guide interactions and exchange in a collective.

Handbook of Peer Production
Chapter 11: Governing for Growth in Scope: Cultivating a Comparative Understanding of
How Peer Production Collectives Evolve
 !" #$
"
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ABSTRACT
 & &$&
$'(
&&)
&$*'+& & 
 &&$&%
$$&&&'$ 
 $)&&
,* &$$
&$$$ $&
&$'+* , & &
$&& )&
'
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
Governing for Growth in Scope:
Cultivating a Comparative Understanding of How Peer Production Collectives Evolve
!" #$"
!" #$"
 !" #$"
1. Introduction
  &$
$'&$$
*&&&$$ 
.&&$$&&' 
&$*&*$
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$ $&&/''+1 %3367
%385$/19&%3345'
( 1!* &&:
,&&$$&&$
&$;/%336'<5'
!*/%3<5&$*&  
$&'+
,&&$
$
&&/'' 1(%3347=&1
 %3719%385'9$)&&

8

$$&$ &$$&&'(
)(& /%3%5$&=&
$ >&&$ &
&$&'?$&&
$$&&$/1@,
%3A5 &$' /''!1=$$&
%337@1+BB7@*129%3385&
&&/=&& %35'
&&&$*
&& & */=&1
 %3719%385'+
&$)&)
&$'
$&$&&
&$&& &
'!$&$$
&&&&C/@*@,.1?$
%3-7@,.%3657&&/*
%387!$&$@1@*%35
&'$&&$&
$$$&$'&@,$
&$:$)$& )*&
&$&>;/%3A'<A-5&$'

A

&&,&
/*&$5, &/D19B667
0@1+%33A5'!$&D&9/B665&&
 E , '+*
 $
&*&
$&/$&?$12&2%3-5' )&
, *&&& $&'
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&$/%33357&&/91F&%3385'
$ $& &$
& *'"*
&*/&%335&* &$
& &/''1@,%3A5'
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&$$&
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&1 %345'
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&&&$/9%33A7!&19%37 1
@*%37&@1%3<7!*%345&)
&$&
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$'G&)$ 
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;/1@,%3A5'+ .&& 
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&$&'!$&$&?$&2&2/%3-5&
 E&&
&'+$&$&$ &&$&
$.$& %$)&&
$&&&'
+$ $&)&&
 * )&&
, *&')& 
&'9& $&
$)'+&&&&
&$/Collaborative, Co-creative or Aggregative5&$
'= $&&$
$&$$&
/!* 1 %3A5&
 '
2. Case Analysis
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&$&'F)&
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4
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$&$&$
$ ,/$5*/?$*57
$ $ /$+*&5/!*%3<5'?&
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* & &'+,&
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$& $
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'&Idea Generation &&&
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&$$$&
 &'&Funding and Sourcing
$$&$&$'& Post
Production &$& $&&&&*&
)/&910%365'End to End$
 &&&$'+&%
$&$&
& .Innovation Search and Reference'+
$$&& &$/''
%33<7+1 %3365&&$&
&&,&&*/'' %3345'+$
3 &$ &'

6

+$&$&> 
&$&$ &'?&&&
$&$& &
&$&'
Insert Table 1
?  &$ 
&$&$$*&
'+&&&$ $
'$&$&&
&'+$& )&$
& & )
&/1&%3<7&%3335'(& H$/IBB87
F&1%3345&&
&'+&&& &&
'
+*)&& 
&&)vertical scope'()0&
$&$ $
$$&&$&&0
)&'0&$$
&$'+)&&&&&
$&&&)horizontal scope'()I)&&
$$*$*&

B

&&),'I&& 
&$&$)&&&&'
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/5$&&'+&
$ &&'F 
&&&'
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?& & &'9%36$&
:20;$& /?&%365'
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how&$&&'()F& G!G!&&&
$&'9%338& 
&$&/ 15'
?&&$&$& $
 &$&'()%334I$?$&$&
2&G= &*
$&/%3%5'
+&)&,
& &$&&& ,&&
& '+$&&&)
)&$&&&& )

3

&$&'?$&$
&&$/7.5'Collaborators 
&&$*$)& 'Co-creators
$&&&$$& *'Aggregators
 $$$$&$
*'?&&$)$$
&&$**& '!&
*)&$&&
&$$'
3. Scope of the Innovation LifeCycle
/B%5&/ *
  5,/ 
&&&$&53.%3 $&$%36'
 /+*&*&?&5)&
$  $$$
&$&/%3B7+*&'%3B5'
Insert Table 2
Expanding Horizontal Scope'9/<%5&)&&
,/F?&?&G&I5&
&&$'()%33)&&$&
$&$$'?$&
 $&!0$ &F$&)&&$



%38&&$&.$&/%385'I
)&&,$*& 
/ $'5'! *&I)&&
&&&$&'
Expanding Vertical Scope') /A%5/?&
GI$?$&&&05)&& 
 '()?&)&&
&&&$&'$&$&
.&&&&$
?&$ &&$/@*1>%3367
@1&%3A5'G%3<?&:
;&&$$&&& ?&'?
&&&$&&$*&&
&& 33333& 'D+$E:GJ
**4 .&&&$ $&
& & & '$ &
>  & $&';/?&
%3B5'?&)&&$& E
$&& $ ?&&&&$'
Maintaining Scope' &&$&$
 /?&*&+*&5'+*& &
$&&$$&$&&
$&$$$&$&>'& 
*&/*1&%3A5E:(*

%

$&&$&>';
?,*>&>$&&
&&'?*&
$>$ &$&>'
$&$&:$&&
&&&$$&$&&
& & ;/+*&($&%3B5&
$&$H$ &$)&'+*&&$&$&
H$  &&$&/1
@,%3A5&$  *&'$&D 
+&E:+H$ ;/@%33<5'!
*&+*&& :**;&
H$ >&)
'
4. Governance Rights
$ *&
$&$&&
)/+1 %336'8<5'?$&
/$5&/
&$&&5&G0/$ &$& 
&&$&5'?$$$&
&$ $ $
$/ 15' &

-

$& F$ $$&
$ $&$'
&)/?&&*5 &
/$ &5
$&&
'()?&
 &$:&; &&$
&.*E:$&
 $ &&&$ 
 *&;/@1&%3A'A-85'&
  /&5$$ 
* $$&&$
&$'
Distribution of Governance Rights'+&$&&
$ &$+*&$
/0**1%3471@,%3A5'!+*&&&&
&&$&.'&&$&
&$&&&$$&&&
&&'&&$&&
$&&$$K$&&'
&$& $&E:GJ*
$&&L$&&M';?H$
&$$/=&1 %35
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
&/$0$1?$%3%5&. 
'
$&$$&&&$&) &
 
$/%3%'A465'$$&&
/0**1%3471@,%3A5&
&/ 1(%3347=&1 %37(1
 %3%5)&&&
$$&/''$ 1 %3345'=
&&$N=&1
 /%35$&&$$
 &&'&9/%385$
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$&&$&
 '
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$$&/ 1%3B7!$&$%335
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 /?&FG&?&5'() 
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 >$&
&>/ 15')& $&
F)$= H$$:$';?
&$:  &F;'
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'
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/$&&5&&/!&%365' 
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&$&&$'
& &&* &$&
$&'
( $&&&*$
*'(&$&$ 
$/?&FG?&&I$?$5'(
)F&$&?&
&I$?$* &'
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G *&&&&
$ *$/@*D@10
%3347%3385'+H$0&
&& *' &
$ )H$/?&
?&&G5$$&&$&.)$&'
*I$?$&0 $
 &
'G$
* $ '
0$ H$&$$
&&$$&* $$&
$)&&'
5. Patterns of Growth
($&/**&
?&5* )'&
,* 
'H$ &$&
* )&$ 
&'()?&&G&&,
&&$& &$.&$&&
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
4

'($&*))&
 )'
Insert Figure 1
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/CollaboratorsCo-creators&Aggregators5$&&$$
$& '?
$$aggregators
collaborators'+&)
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&'
Collaborators. 0&$&&$
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GE:LM $
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&*&$&'

6

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5'?$&&$
$&H$&>'?
F)$=$&,&&&$
$&$H$ E:  $&
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O$*& ';
+& $&$&&
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$'()&&G$
$H$H$ ) $N($$$&&)
&&$&&&
&$$$'
Co-Creators.+&$.&&$*
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&$& $*& $&'!
&&&+*&H$ &$&&
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$H$ &$&/''BBB7%3%5'@
&&.H$ 
/''(1 %3%5 '.
&&$*+*&&&&)&
$&$&'@ &$
&&*&'+
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
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Aggregators'+&$&$&&$
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&&&$ 
$>$ &$&$'9/<%5$&&
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$&&&&$'
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 &&$$ &&& &>$&'
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&$+*&/''1@,%3A5'"*
&&&+*&& $
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&:> ;$&&
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E$&  && 
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&$'
0$&$&&&$ 
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&$&&& E:G $J$$ $*
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$&& ,&$  
&&'?,*)&
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'&&) .
 &$$*&'+&*$
&&&' 
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)&*& '
6. Advancing a Research Agenda
$$&&$&
 &'$&$
&&*$&&
 '!$&&@,/%3A5
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& &$*/! 
1$&%335&$& $&$'+
&$ & 
'!&&$&&
&&$&$&&
&'?-&'
Insert Table 3
+Collaborators$&& &$&
&Co-creators '
Aggregators &H$$*$ &$$'
($$&&& &&'+ &
)&N+N
$ &$
$)&'9&
$H$ &$N
?H$&, 
/$B6%7CB6<7+BB719B6<791BB37
9BBA7*1BB37%3337F 1 %33<7
1F&%33B5$  &&$
'0&& )
&&'()&$&&
$$$$&
$&  '
(

%-

 &&$ $'=$ 
H$$&& ,$$&
&$&&&H$&
 '
+&$)
 &$*&$
$&&$&&'+)&  $ 
&&&&$'()
&&.$ &$
/**BB%7%3335'I?&&I$$ *
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'QHandbook of collective intelligenceQ175'
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W%4T
+'F'/BB5',E? &
$$'QAdministrative science quarterly%<B.%B<'

-

Table 1: Peer Production Collectives Founding Characteristics
Innovation
Lifecycle Definition Collective Year Founded Ownership
What was Produced
public or privately available
Idea Generation
&
$&$$&

?& %333 & ?.&public
G %33 & K$private
Innovation
Search and
Reference
$
$
$
+*& %33 $ 
&
F &public
I$?$ %33A & ".&&public
&& %33A & &&&public
0 %33B & $&K&public
Funding and
Sourcing
($&
*
 %33A & public
* %33B & *&&$public
Post Production
0&
&&*&$
&
?& %333 & &public
I %338 & $public
End to End
$
 

F BB6 & & public
?& %33 & & private

-%


--

Table 2: Change in Scope and Governance Rights
Initial Scope Change in Scope Adapted Scope Change in Governance Rights
Vertical
Expansion
Horizontal
Expansion
Technical
Control
Decision
Rights
IP Rights
Observed initial role in
the innovation lifecycle
Expansion into different
activities
across the innovation
lifecycle
Expansion
into new
domains
Observed current role in
the innovation lifecycle
Technical
rules
governing
participation
What is being
produced,
and how
Rights over
intellectual
property
produced
 IG ISR FS PP IG ISR FS PP IG ISR FS PP
F
?&
?&
G
+*&
I$?$
&&
0

*
?&
I
@&
GXG&
GXG&
(X($&&$
00X00&$
CEF&&& $ 
'
Black =G&&& 
Light Grey = 
Dark Grey X

-8

Table 3: Advancing a Research Agenda on Governing for Growth
Mode of
Production Definition
Distribution of
Governance
Rights
Example Advancing a Research Agenda

&


'
9
G&&$&
%33'(
)
,&
&$
&'
G&&$
&&$  &
)$  &$ N
9&  
& 
$N
$
)* &&
$,&
$N
.
0&$
$&&
$*
$
$&
&&$'
&$
+*&$&&$&
'?
&$E$&&*&
&&$&
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