Firms have discovered that open source (OS) communities can be valuable
sources of innovation. However, the access for firms to these
communities
turned to be intricate. One proven way of how firms can enter OS
communities is via their personnel ("men on the inside"). Focusing on
firmsponsored OS communities, Viktor Lee detects the specific functions
of
MOI and how these individuals influence the community network by
applying a comparative case study of two OSS firms. A netnographic and
social network analysis of the community interactions of over 12,000
individuals was conducted. He concludes that firms can succeed in
integrating a community into the firm's development process with the
help of the MOI.