International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge Development, 3(4), 1-14, October-December 2011 1
Copyright © 2011, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
Keywords: Boundary Critique, Collaboration, Migration, Open Source Software, Stakeholders
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Both private and public organizations are adopt-
ing open source software in order to achieve
many benefits that are associated with it (Gosh
& Schmidt, 2006). The benefits associated with
this migration are political, legal, economical,
social and technical. Open source software is
perceived to provide a means of extending the
Boundary Critique and
Stakeholder Collaboration in
Open Source Software Migration:
A Case Study
Osden Jokonya, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Stan Hardman, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the contribution of stakeholder collaboration during an open source software migration
using a case study. The case study is based on the Presidential National Commission, a South African govern-
ment department that migrated from proprietary software to open source software in 2007. The organization
was one of the few that migrated to open source software as part of a South African government initiative.
The case study consisted of semi-structured interviews with the participants involved in the migration. The
interviews centered on the contribution of stakeholder collaboration during the software migration using a
boundary critique. The results suggest that stakeholder collaboration can contribute to open source software
migration. From a managerial perspective, business leaders must understand the value of stakeholder col-
laboration in open source software migration. Boundary critique can be an important tool for achieving
broader collaboration of stakeholders.
market for software because it serves those con-
sumers who cannot afford to license proprietary
software products, and can bridge the digital
divide to some extent (Lee, 2004). Morgan and
Finnegan (2003) note that organizations that have
adopted open source software reveal that the
management support for open source software
adoption is based on the lower cost associated
with it. That makes it worthwhile for many
governments to make substantial investment
in open source software rather than in the less
affordable proprietary software. DOI: 10.4018/jskd.2011100101