Open Source
Review and evaluate open-source projects as a successful example of virtual teams.
Example of successful virtual teams
Open-source projects are well-functioning examples of virtual teams. Possible reasons for their success are:
- All the team members are very idealistic. There is no need to motivate them or try to ensure they identify with the project. This comes all naturally.
- Everybody feels responsible for the whole project and takes this responsibility very seriously.
- There is a broad community that provides immediate feedback. This feedback is what drives the whole project. There is no difference in the value of feedback, whether its from peers or users.
- Everybody who contributes to the project takes pride in the work.
Principle of open-source projects
The main underlying principle of open source projects, and the reason for their success, is the gift economy (the culture of giving away capacity and information). This means that everybody working on an open-source project is doing so voluntarily. A lot can be learned from this approach, especially for use on commercial projects.
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