The Material and Social Dynamics of Motivation

Contributions to Open Source Language Technology Development

Abstract

Volunteer motivation has been a central theme in Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) literature. This research has been largely dominated by economists who rely in their surveys on the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and the ‘hacker ethic’ – for profi t juxtaposition. The paper argues that survey-based analytical frameworks and research designs have led to a focus on some motivational attributions at the expense of others. It then presents a case study that explores dynamic, non-individualistic and content-sensitive aspects of motivations. The approach is based on socio-cultural psychology and the author’s observations of a hybrid fi rm-community FLOSS project, OpenOffi ce.org. Instead of separating intrinsic motivations from extrinsic ones, it is argued that complex and changing patterns of motivations are tied to changing objects and personal histories prior to and during participation. The boundary between work and hobby in an individual’s participation path is blurred and shifting.