Modularity in OrganizationsSanchez and Mahoney (1997) claimed that the creation of modular product architectures should lead to loosely coupled, modular organizational structures which require less managerial interference. Further research has disproved this, and in fact shown the opposite to be true.
The ability to coordinate the design and production of modular artefacts seems to in fact require organizational integration and knowledge sharing, as the design rules must first be fully understood before they can be implemented. Furthermore, using modular architectures to create larger product families requires increased communication and knowledge to ensure proper implementation. Hence it may be argued that modular products lead to organizational integration, as Langlois (2002) claimed that "firms arise as islands of nonmodularity in a sea of modularity." |
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Limitations to Modularity
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Limitations to Modularity
Or go back to Modularity The Basics - Product Modularity