Toward a General Modular Systems Theory and Its Application to Interfirm Product Modularity
Toward a General Modular Systems Theory and Its Application to Interfirm Product Modularity Author(s): Melissa A. Schilling Reviewed work(s): Source: The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr., 2000), pp. 312-334 Published by: Academy of Management Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/259016 . Accessed: 26/03/2012 07:35
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c Academy of Management Review 2000, Vol. 25, No. 2, 312-334.
TOWARDA GENERAL MODULARSYSTEMS THEORYAND ITS APPLICATION TO INTERFIRM PRODUCTMODULARITY
MELISSA SCHILLING A. Boston University
Many systems migrate toward increasing or decreasing modularity, yet no explicit causal models exist to explain this process. In this article I build a general theory of modular systems, drawing on systems research from many disciplines, and then use this general theory to derive a model of interfirm product modularity, including testable research propositions. The product model provides a valuable tool for predicting technological trajectories, and it demonstrates how the general theory can be applied to specific systems.
Modularity is a general systems concept: it is a continuum describing the degree to which a system 's components can be separated and recombined, and it refers both to the tightness of coupling between components and the degree to which the "rules" of the system architecture
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
Academy of Management is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Academy of Management Review.
http://www.jstor.org
c Academy of Management Review 2000, Vol. 25, No. 2, 312-334.
TOWARDA GENERAL MODULARSYSTEMS THEORYAND ITS APPLICATION TO INTERFIRM PRODUCTMODULARITY
MELISSA SCHILLING A. Boston University
Many systems migrate toward increasing or decreasing modularity, yet no explicit causal models exist to explain this process. In this article I build a general theory of modular systems, drawing on systems research from many disciplines, and then use this general theory to derive a model of interfirm product modularity, including testable research propositions. The product model provides a valuable tool for predicting technological trajectories, and it demonstrates how the general theory can be applied to specific systems.
Modularity is a general systems concept: it is a continuum describing the degree to which a system 's components can be separated and recombined, and it refers both to the tightness of coupling between components and the degree to which the "rules" of the system architecture