Analysis of Community Approaches in Digital Economy Field and Its Social Implications

Abstract

The spread of digitalization has affected and changed economic processes around the world. The digital economy gets its impetus from communities of enthusiasts who develop and implement new technological solutions. Сommunities are engaged in the creation and implementation of digital products and play a significant role. The relevance of the chosen research subject is dictated by the fact that such communities are the main creators of digital economy products: digital technologies were made possible by the work of close circles of enthusiasts who jointly developed a technology or product, and then brought ideas to market through startups and technology companies or influenced society through non-profit projects. Therefore, when studying trends in the digital economy, it is necessary to consider the values and motives of the communities that generate and disseminate innovations, as well as their impact on society. Thus, the main subject of this article are the values of the IT communities — which are involved in the creation of digital products and manage innovation, — and values embedded in their group formation and reflected in their functioning in the digital environment. The aim of the study is to typologize and analyze the communities that realize their subjective actions in the field of the digital economy. Answering the question of what exactly the consequences of digitalization for society are, the authors analyzed the types of strategies of the communities that form the digital economy. In the course of the research, three strategic directions were identified, which determine the development of technological products and their further impact on society: digital optimism, digital skepticism, and digital capitalism.