Abstract | In this short paper, we present an exploratory work in progress study that attempts to understand the popularity of innovations (projects) on social digital platforms such as the open-source platform GitHub. We seek to understand the social nature of developer (innovators) movements and motivations via lenses of developer interactions, project participation, user motivations and behaviours that lead to project success likelihood. We predict that factors such as project and participation characteristics would lead to increased project popularity resulting in direct and indirect network effects for users, platform, and organisations. Implications for several organisational issues are discussed. Using a netnography method via the one-on-one interview approach, we believe the study’s results would provide techno-social insights into the digital platform ecosystem as well as reveal hitherto unknown success rules for platform innovations. In conclusion, it is proposed that this study will provide vital strategic imperatives for popularity of innovations in the future by offering a contemporary framework that extends current knowledge on the complex nature of developer’s motivations, movements, and collaborations on digital platforms. |
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