Calling for help

In the last years I was hunting the secrets of successful open source communities (for my PhD thesis). The analysis of the principles of those fantastic communities is done. The next (and last step) is:

How could the positive effects of open source communities be transfered to classical organizations. Of cause I have some ideas but I think it would enrich my work if I could discuss those ideas with people from "real life".

Most people are happy to live in an self-determined, passion encouraging, fearless "open source community environment" but are not convinced to privde such an environment to their subordinates, because they fear to loose control etc.

It wouldn't be so difficult to get interviews with empleyees or lower management. The problem is, that these groups generaly like the idea to have such a workenvironment, too, but have very limited possibilities to let their dreams come true. (And it is easier to impress the professors with the opinion of somebody from top management.)

This would be the perfect interview / discussion partner for me:

• A member of top management of
• a medium-sized or major enterprises
• who is interested in new ideas to shape the company way beyond cost reduction (e.g. the increase the use of collective intelligence in the enterprise, the creation of a passionate environment or the introduction of the "sharing spirit" etc.).
• It would help if the company / manager has heard from the open source movement and the power of communities before.
• (Non software related branches would be more intersting, because the differences between them and open software communities are bigger.)

I tried the last weeks to get to those peolpe but without success.

So if you have some connections to top management (e.g. NOKIA!) please let me know.
( thomas dot thym at gmail dot com)

And by the way: