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The dynamics of community innovations : A socio-technical analysis of the shaping of The Things Network – an Internet of Things community network

Graaf, A de (2017) The dynamics of community innovations : A socio-technical analysis of the shaping of The Things Network – an Internet of Things community network.

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Abstract:This research aims to add to the current body of work on the dynamics of bottom-up innovation communities, by examining The Things Network, a community that aims to develop a global ICT-network infrastructure. Current work on innovation communities doesn’t include communities building global network infrastructures, as they only focus on local infrastructure, or global communities developing open source software. In this thesis, I have build forth on the research of Verhaegh, who conceptualizes innovation communities as a socio-technical heterogeneous network consisting of a variety of diverse human and non-human actors. He introduces the notion of ‘alignment work’, as the work involved in shaping heterogeneous networks. However, as Verhaegh did not further conceptualize the dynamics of alignment work itself, I structured these dynamics using a framework of Callon, the sociology of translation. This framework introduces four phases by which heterogeneous networks are shaped: problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization, which have allowed me to analyze the alignment. I have described and analyzed my case study with this conceptual lense aiming to come to a better understanding of the socio-technical dynamics in innovation communities. In this academic endeavor, I also aimed to enrich the conceptual vocabulary to better understand the community innovation dynamics.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:01 general works, 50 technical science in general
Programme:Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society MSc (60024)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/73467
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