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Returns to Open Source Software Engagement: An Empirical Test of the Signaling Hypothesis

Author

Listed:
  • Juergen Bitzer

    (Department of Economics, University of Oldenburg)

  • Ingo Geishecker

    (Department of Economics, University of Goettingen)

  • Philipp Schroeder

    (Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University, Denmark)

Abstract

Job-Market signaling is ranked high among the explanations why in- dividuals engage voluntarily in OSS projects. If true, signaling implies the existence of a wage premium for OSS engagement. However, due to a lack of data this issue has not been tested previously. Based on a novel data set comprising detailed demographic and wage information for some 7,000 German IT employees, this paper fills this gap. In the empirical analysis, however, we find no support for the signaling hypoth- esis, a result that is robust to different measures of OSS involvement and different model specifications.

Suggested Citation

  • Juergen Bitzer & Ingo Geishecker & Philipp Schroeder, 2010. "Returns to Open Source Software Engagement: An Empirical Test of the Signaling Hypothesis," Working Papers V-321-10, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:old:dpaper:321
    as

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    File URL: http://www.vwl.uni-oldenburg.de/download/Bitzer012010.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    open source software; signaling; wage differentials;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles

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