Open Governance

Apologies for the barrage of messages today. This is to kick off week 2. Let's get into the course work. Since this is the first week, let's see how the dates and timing work for everyone. We can adjust next week. 

Tasks

• Listen to the radio show and read the related articles listed below. 
• Add links and readings relevant to the topic. 
• Write a blog post (Here are some questions I find useful starting points, but feel free to expand!)
  • What are some of the norms in communities you are a participant in that affect governance of that community?
  • How are these norms communicated to new joiners? 
  • How important is it to explicitly state the norms? How much can be picked up from "observing"?
• Read the blog posts and discuss them. 

Dates

• Sunday 26 - Post your blog post in the forum
• Wednesday 29 - Read and comment on others' posts

Syllabus

Open innovation communities are characterized by cultural norms that vary greatly from the hierarchical structures common to firm-based employment (and sometimes university study). Governance processes rest on a foundation of norms and behaviors, some explicit and others implicit. As open communities grow, the transfer of these norms and behaviors to new community members is important to preserve stable governance mechanisms. Readings will look at community norms in baboons to highlight the mechanisms of norm transfer. The task will be to find examples for norm transfer in open communities and discuss them in the group.

• WNYX Radiolab, The New Normal, Part 1 "New Baboon", http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2009/10/02
• RM Sapolsky, A Natural History of Peace, http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/~sok/papers/s/sapolsky-foreignaffairs-2006.pdf
• Short summary of Sapolsky's thesis and work, http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/04/05/peace-among-primates-by-robert-sapolsky/