Knowledge Reuse for Customization: Metamodels in an Open Design Community for 3D Printing

MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 315-322.

18 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2017 Last revised: 19 May 2017

See all articles by Harris Kyriakou

Harris Kyriakou

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business; IESE Business School

Jeffrey V. Nickerson

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business

Gaurav Sabnis

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business

Date Written: February 26, 2017

Abstract

Theories of knowledge reuse posit two distinct processes: reuse for replication and reuse for innovation. We identify another distinct process, reuse for customization. Reuse for customization is a process in which designers manipulate the parameters of metamodels to produce models that fulfill their personal needs. We test hypotheses about reuse for customization in Thingiverse, a community of designers that shares files for three-dimensional printing. 3D metamodels are reused more often than the 3D models they generate. The reuse of metamodels is amplified when the metamodels are created by designers with greater community experience. Metamodels make the community’s design knowledge available for reuse for customization—or further extension of the metamodels, a kind of reuse for innovation.

Keywords: Knowledge reuse, metamodels, digital innovation, customization, parametric design, online com- munities, open source, software reuse, Thingiverse, 3D Printing

Suggested Citation

Kyriakou, Harris and Kyriakou, Harris and Nickerson, Jeffrey V. and Sabnis, Gaurav, Knowledge Reuse for Customization: Metamodels in an Open Design Community for 3D Printing (February 26, 2017). MIS Quarterly, 41(1), 315-322., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2924083

Harris Kyriakou (Contact Author)

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business ( email )

Hoboken, NJ 07030
United States

IESE Business School ( email )

Avenida Pearson 21
Barcelona, 08034
Spain

Jeffrey V. Nickerson

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business ( email )

Hoboken, NJ 07030
United States

Gaurav Sabnis

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business ( email )

Hoboken, NJ 07030
United States

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