Innovations from the underground : towards a theory of parasitic innovation
Name
56676051-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
6.35 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
dfdb800400e724aed385eecbba3fa87c
Author(s)
Mollick, Ethan, 1975-
Advisor(s)
Eric Von Hippel.
Date Issued
2004
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
For almost every complex, proprietary system there is a group of users trying to change, modify, or break it. These users have no regard for the carefully constructed business models that manufacturers use to justify their closed architectures. Instead, driven by utility, curiosity, or, occasionally, anger, these user communities innovate within the manufacturers' systems, bypassing both legal and technical safeguards. These communities exist in many diverse markets, most often as a hunted underground, but occasionally as valued partners of legitimate industry. In the computer industry, for example, they are called "hackers," while in the world of telephony they are referred to as "phreakers." Sometimes undermining systems and sometimes expanding them, these parasitic innovation communities have a deep and complex relationship with the companies whose systems they modify. This thesis presents an examination of the phenomenon of parasitic innovation, developing explanations for how and why parasitic communities operate. It demonstrates that parasitic innovation is an ongoing phenomenon that has developed significant innovations over the last forty years. The paper then presents a model for how parasitic communities and firms interact, and offers a new strategic approach for how industry can better develop the positive effects of parasitic innovators while reducing negative impacts.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-101).
Subjects
Sloan School of Management.
MIT Department
Sloan School of Management
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
