Antecedents of selective revealing: An empirical
study in non-OSS environments
Markus Deimel
Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization
Professor Christopher Lettl
Vienna University of Economics and Business
An example of selective revealing in non-Open
Source Software (non-OSS) environments
On 12 June this year Tesla (2014) announced the free licensing of its
patents to anyone in good faith in order to advance the market for
electric cars.
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING
Research question
What firm-specific factors influence the likelihood to engage
in the selective revealing of knowledge?
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING
Selective revealing and current literature
 Selective revealing (Henkel 2006, Alexy et al. 2013)
extends the established literature on knowledge flows, e.g.
 Collective invention (Allen 1983, Nuvolari 2004)
 Cumulative invention (Scotchmer 1991)
 Free revealing / private - collective invention (von Hippel 1987, von
Hippel & von Krogh 2003, Alexy 2008)
 Voluntary knowledge-spillovers (Harhoff et al. 2003)
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING
Researching a Non- Open Source Software
environment
 OSS is only one of many industries in the economy
 Operationalisation of propositions stated in Alexy et al.
(2013)
 Difference in the development process of software and
other industries
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING
Feedback and questions welcome:
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Relevance of the research question
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Theoretical underpinnings
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Ideas for research design
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING
Sources
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Alexy, O., George, G., & Salter, A. J. (2013). Cui Bono? The Selective Revealing of
Knowledge and Its Implications for Innovative Activity. Academy of Management Review,
38(2), 270–291. doi:10.5465/amr.2011.0193
Allen, R. C. (1983). COLLECTIVE INVENTION. Journal of Economic Behavior &
Organization, 4(1), 1–24. doi:10.1016/0167-2681(83)90023-9
Harhoff, D., Henkel, J., & von Hippel, E. (2003). Profiting from voluntary information
spillovers: how users benefit by freely revealing their innovations. Research Policy,
32(10), 1753–1769. doi:10.1016/s0048-7333(03)00061-1
Henkel, J. (2006). Selective revealing in open innovation processes: The case of
embedded Linux. Research Policy, 35(7), 953–969. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2006.04.010
Nuvolari, A. (2004). Collective invention during the British Industrial Revolution: the case
of the Cornish pumping engine. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 28(3), 347–363.
Scotchmer, S. (1991). Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Cumulative Research and the
Patent Law. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 5(1), 29–41. doi:10.1257/jep.5.1.29
Von Hippel, E. (1987). COOPERATION BETWEEN RIVALS - INFORMAL KNOW-HOW
TRADING. Research Policy, 16(6), 291–302. doi:10.1016/0048-7333(87)90015-1
Von Hippel, E., & von Krogh, G. (2003). Open source software and the “private-collective”
innovation model: Issues for organization science. Organization Science, 14(2), 209–223.
Retrieved from <Go to ISI>://WOS:000182437400009
MARKUS DEIMEL│ ANTECEDENTS OF SELECTIVE REVEALING