A Portfolio of Knowledge Integration Mechanisms in Open Ecosystems Completed Research

Knowledge integration has been widely examined in the context of bounded systems. This study explores a new context - open ecosystems - which are free and open collaborative environments operating over the Internet. We define the overall process of knowledge integration in open ecosystems. Next, we identify the portfolio of mechanisms that facilitate the integration of knowledge. Four main dimensions are proposed including organizational capital, technology, social capital and human capital. Finally, we theorize the impact of knowledge integration on open ecosystems performance. We expect to contribute to both theory and practice.