Contributions and Implications

Abstract

The base research question of this study is ‘How do contextual factors influence the decisions of participants to join open communities?’ This question advances our understanding in terms of ‘Why do users join one innovation context over another?’ and sheds light on attractive conditions for user and distributed innovations. Derived from the empirical findings, within this chapter I provide contributions to theory, implications for methodology, and recommendations for management practice. I reflect on my work critically and provide the limitations of this study. Finally, I open avenues for future research and highlight opportunities to do more.