Titre du document / Document title

Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge management in product and organization design

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

SANCHEZ R. ⁽¹⁾ ; MAHONEY J. T. ⁽²⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Graduate School of Management, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, AUSTRALIE
⁽²⁾ College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, ETATS-UNIS

Résumé / Abstract

This paper investigates interrelationships of product design, organization design, processes for learning and managing knowledge, and competitive strategy. This paper uses the principles of nearly decomposable systems to investigate the ability of standardized interfaces between components in a product design to embed coordination of product development processes. Embedded coordination creates 'hierarchical coordination' without the need to continually exercise authority-enabling effective coordination of processes without the tight coupling of organizational structures. We develop concepts of modularity in product and organization designs based on standardized component and organization interfaces. Modular product architectures create information structures that provide the 'glue' that holds together the loosely coupled parts of a modular organization design. By facilitating loose coupling, modularity can also reduce the cost and difficulty of adaptive coordination, thereby increasing the strategic flexibility of firms to respond to environmental change. Modularity in product and organization designs therefore enables a new strategic approach to the management of knowledge based on an intentional, carefully managed loose coupling of a firm's learning processes at architectural and component levels of product creation processes.

Revue / Journal Title

Strategic management journal   ISSN 0143-2095   CODEN SMAJD8 

Source / Source

1996, vol. 17, n^o WINTER, NS (166 p.)  (2 p.), pp. 63-76

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Wiley, Chichester, ROYAUME-UNI  (1980) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Management ; Knowledge ; Firm ; Product design ; Organization ; Strategy ; Coordination ; Flexibility ; Information structure ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Gestion ; Connaissance ; Entreprise ; Conception produit ; Organisation ; Stratégie ; Coordination ; Flexibilité ; Structure information ; Modularité ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Conocimiento ; Empresa ; Organización ; Estrategia ; Coordinación ; Flexibilidad ; Estructura información ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 18826, 35400006323423.0050