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Unpacking the Black Box of Modularity: Technologies, Products and Organizations

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Author Info
Brusoni, Stefano
Prencipe, Andrea

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Abstract

This paper explores the issues of knowledge and organizational coordination that stem from the adoption of modular product architectures. Modularity is a common characteristic of the products we have studied: aircraft engines and chemical plants. In contrast to much current research on product and organizational design, we argue that knowledge and organizational coordination cannot be achieved by relying only on automatic mechanisms enabled by the modular product architectures. Rather, the achievement of knowledge and organizational coordination demands interactive management of the actors and activities involved. This coordination role is played by companies that we define as "systems integrators". We contend that achieving knowledge coordination demands that systems integrators be able to span capabilities over a range of technological fields that is wider than the range of activities that they actually perform in-house. Copyright 2001 by Oxford University Press.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Oxford University Press in its journal Industrial & Corporate Change.

Volume (Year): 10 (2001)
Issue (Month): 1 (March)
Pages: 179-205
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Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:10:y:2001:i:1:p:179-205

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  1. Muge Ozman, 2008. "The Two Faces of Open Innovation: NetworkExternalities and Learning," Working Papers of BETA 2008-24, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, ULP, Strasbourg. [Downloadable!]
  2. Tommaso Ciarli & Riccardo Leoncini & Sandro Montresor & Marco Valente, 2008. "Technological change and the vertical organization of industries," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 367-387, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Leonardo Bargigli, 2005. "The limits of modularity in innovation and production," CESPRI Working Papers 176, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Sep 2005. [Downloadable!]
  4. Alessandro Narduzzo & Alessandro Rossi, 2003. "Modular Design and the Development of Complex Artifacts: Lessons from Free/Open Source Software," ROCK Working Papers 021, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 12 Jun 2008. [Downloadable!]
  5. Alessandro Narduzzo & Alessandro Rossi, 2003. "Modularity in Action: GNU/Linux and Free/Open Source Software Development Model Unleashed," ROCK Working Papers 020, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 13 Jun 2008. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Giovanna Devetag & Enrico Zaninotto, 2001. "The imperfect hiding: Some introductory concepts and preliminary issues on modularity," ROCK Working Papers 010, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 13 Jun 2008. [Downloadable!]
  7. Vincent FRIGANT (GREThA), 2007. "Between Internationalisation and Proximity: the internationalisation process of automotive first tier suppliers," Cahiers du GREThA 2007-13, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée. [Downloadable!]
  8. Antonelli Cristiano, 2003. "The governance of localized technological knowledge and the evolution of intellectual property rights," Dipartimento di Economia "S. Cognetti de Martiis" LEI & BRICK - Laboratorio di economia dell'innovazione "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio Carlo 200301, University of Turin. [Downloadable!]
  9. Stefano Brusoni & Luigi Marengo & Andrea Prencipe & Marco Valente, 2004. "The Value and Costs of Modularity: A Cognitive Perspective," SPRU Electronic Working Paper Series 123, University of Sussex, SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research. [Downloadable!]
  10. Hoetker, Glenn, 2002. "Do Modular Products Lead to Modular Organizations?," Working Papers 02-0130, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business. [Downloadable!]
  11. Julien Pénin, 2008. "More open than open innovation? Rethinking the concept of openness in innovation studies," Working Papers of BETA 2008-18, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, ULP, Strasbourg. [Downloadable!]
  12. Hua Wang, 2008. "Innovation in product architecture—A study of the Chinese automobile industry," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 509-535, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Leonardo Bargigli, 2005. "An evolutionary model for the dynamics of vertical integration and network-based production," Industrial Organization 0509002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  14. Alessandro Rossi & Alessandro Narduzzo, 2003. "Modular design and the development of complex artifact lesson fron free open source software," Quaderni DISA 080, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised 29 Sep 2003. [Downloadable!]
  15. Wolfgang Kerber & Simonetta Vezzoso, 2004. "EU Competition Policy, Vertical Restraints, and Innovation: An Analysis from an Evolutionary Perspective," Marburg Working Papers on Economics 200414, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung). [Downloadable!]
  16. Virginia Acha & Lucia Cusmano, 2005. "Governance and co-ordination of distributed innovation processes: patterns of R&D co-operation in the upstream petroleum industry," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 14(1-2), pages 1-21, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Mario Benassi, 2009. "Investigating modular organizations," Journal of Management and Governance, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 163-192, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Giovanni Dosi & Mike Hobday & Luigi Marengo & Andrea Prencipe, 2002. "The Economics Of System Integration: Toward An Evolutionary Interpretation," LEM Papers Series 2002/16, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy. [Downloadable!]
  19. Patrucco Pierpaolo, 2008. "Complexity and organizational change in the coordination of technological knowledge: evidence from the automobile cluster in Turin," Dipartimento di Economia "S. Cognetti de Martiis" LEI & BRICK - Laboratorio di economia dell'innovazione "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio Carlo 200808, University of Turin. [Downloadable!]
  20. T. Ciarli & R. Leoncini & S. Montresor & M. Valente, 2007. "Organisation of industry and innovation dynamics," Working Papers 609, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna. [Downloadable!]
  21. Cristiano Antonelli, 2003. "Knowledge Complementarity and Fungeability: Implications for Regional Strategy," Regional Studies, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 37(6-7), pages 595-606, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  22. Florent Catel & Jean-Charles Monateri, 2005. "Strategic perspectives on modularity," Post-Print halshs-00097733_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
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