Open-source software, usually created by volunteer programmers dispersed worldwide, now competes with that developed by software firms. This achievement is particularly impressive as open-source programmers rarely meet. They rely heavily on electronic media, which preclude the benefits of face-to-face contact that programmers enjoy within firms. In this paper, we describe findings that address this paradox based on observation, interviews and quantitative analyses of two open-source projects. The findings suggest that spontaneous work coordinated afterward is effective, rational organizational culture helps achieve agreement among members and communications media moderately support spontaneous work. These findings can imply a new model of dispersed collaboration.

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