The relationship among modularity, functional coordination, and mass customization: Implications for competitiveness

European Journal of Innovation Management

Volumn 13, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 46-61

  Ahmad, Sohel ^a   Schroeder, Roger G ^b   Mallick, Debasish N ^c  

^a ST CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS   (United States)

Author keywords

Competitive strategy; Design management; Mass customization; Plant efficiency; Product specification

Indexed keywords

EID: 74349113091     PISSN: 14601060     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1108/14601061011013221     Document Type: Article

References (62)

1. Ahmad, S., Schroeder, R.G. (2003), "The impact of human resource management practices on operational performance: recognizing country and industry differences" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 19-43.
2. Antonio, K.W.L., Yam, R.C.M., Tang, E. (2007), "The impacts of product modularity on competitive capabilities and performance: an empirical study" in International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 105, No. 2, pp. 1-20.
3. Baldwin, C.Y., Clark, K.B. (1997), "Managing in the age of modularity" in Harvard Business Review, Vol. 75, No. 5, pp. 84-93.
4. Barney, J. (1991), "Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage" in Journal of Management, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 99-120.
5. Baron, R.M., Kenny, D.A. (1986), "The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations" in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 1173-82.
6. Bentler, P.M. (1990), "Comparative fit indexes in structural models" in Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 107, pp. 238-46.
7. Berman, B. (2002), "Should your firm adopt a mass customization strategy?" in Business Horizons, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 51-60.
8. Blacker, T., Friedrich, G. (2007), "Guest editorial: mass customization manufacturing system" in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 4-10.
9. Browne, M.W., Cudeck, R. (1993), "Alternative ways of assessing model fit" in Bollen, K.A., Long, J.S. (Eds.), Testing Structural Equation Models, Sage, Newbury Park, CA, pp. 136-62.
10. Danese, P., Romano, P. (2004), "Improving inter-functional coordination to face high product variety and frequent modification" in International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 24, No. 9, pp. 863-85.
11. da Silveria, G., Borenstein, D., Fogliatto, F.S. (2001), "Mass customization: literature review and research directions" in International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 1-13.
12. Davis, S. (1987), Future Perfect, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
13. Ding, L., Velicer, W.F., Harlow, L.L. (1995), "Effects of estimation methods, number of indicators per factor, and improper solutions on structural equation modeling fit indices" in Structural Equation Modeling, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 119-44.
14. Doran, D. (2005), "Supplying on a modular basis: an examination of strategic issues" in International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 35, No. 9, pp. 654-63.
15. Duray, R. (2002), "Mass customization origins: mass or custom manufacturing?" in International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 314-28.
16. Duray, R. (2006), "Pursuing capabilities of flexibility and quality: financial performance implications for mass customization" in International Journal of Mass Customization, Vol. 1, Nos 2/3, pp. 260-71.
17. Duray, R., Ward, P.T., Milligan, G.W., Berry, W.L. (2000), "Approaches to mass customization: configurations and empirical validation" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 605-25.
18. Ernst, R., Kamrad, B. (2000), "Evaluation of supply chain structures through modularization and postponement" in European Journal of Operations Research, Vol. 124, pp. 495-510.
19. Ethiraj, S.K., Levinthal, D., Roy, R.R. (2008), "The dual role of modularity: innovation and imitation" in Management Science, Vol. 54, No. 5, pp. 939-55.
20. Feitzinger, E., Lee, H.L. (1997), "Mass customization at Hewlett-Packard: the power of postponement" in Harvard Business Review, Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 116-21.
21. Fisher, M., Ramdas, K., Ulrich, K. (1999), "Component sharing in the management of product variety: a study of automotive braking system" in Management Science, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 297-315.
22. Fitzsimmons, J.A., Kouvelis, P., Mallick, D.N. (1991), "Design strategy and its interface with manufacturing and marketing strategy: a conceptual framework" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 398-419.
23. Flynn, B.B., Flynn, E.J. (2004), "An exploratory study of the nature of cumulative capabilities" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 22, pp. 439-57.
24. Galbraith, J.R. (1974), "Organization design: an information processing view" in Interfaces, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 28-36.
25. Garud, R., Kumaraswamy, A., Langlois, R.N. (2003), Managing in the Modular Age, Blackwell, Maiden, MA.
26. Gerwin, D., Barrowman, N.J. (2002), "An evaluation of research on integrated product development" in Management Science, Vol. 48, No. 7, pp. 938-53.
27. Hargadon, A.B., Eisenhardt, K.M. (2000), "Speed and quality in new product development" in Cole, R.E., Scott, W.R. (Eds.), The Quality Movement Organization Theory, Sage, London, pp. 331-46.
28. Huang, X., Kristal, M.M., Schroeder, R.G. (2008), "Linking learning and effective process implementation to mass customization capability" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 714-29.
29. Ketokivi, M.A., Schroeder, R.G. (2004), "Perceptual measures of performance: fact or fiction?" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 247-64.
30. Koufteros, X., Vonderembse, M., Jayaram, J. (2005), "Internal and external integration for product development: the contingency effects of uncertainty, equivocality, and platform strategy" in Decision Sciences, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 97-133.
31. Kusiak, A. (2002), "Integrated product and process design: a modularity perspective" in Journal of Engineering Design, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 223-31.
32. Liu, G., Shah, R., Schroeder, R.G. (2006), "Linking work design to mass customization: a sociotechnical systems perspective" in Decision Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 519-45.
33. Lorenzi, S., Lello, A.D. (2001), "Product modularity theory and practice: the benefits and difficulties in implementation within a company" in International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 425-48.
34. McCarthy, I.P. (2004), "Special issue editorial: the what, why and how of mass customization" in Production Planning & Control, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 347-51.
35. MacCarthy, B., Brabazon, P.G., Bramham, J. (2003), "Fundamental modes of operation for mass customization" in International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 85, No. 3, pp. 289-304.
36. Mallick, D.N., Mukhopadhyay, S.K. (2001), "Local design vs. global design: a strategic business choice" in European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 131, No. 2, pp. 389-99.
37. Mikkola, J.H. (2007), "Management of product architecture modularity for mass customization: modeling and theoretical considerations" in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 57-69.
38. Mikkola, J.H., Gassmann, O. (2003), "Managing modularity of product architecture: toward an integrated theory" in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 204-18.
39. Mirchandani, P., Mishra, A.K. (2002), "Component commonality: models with product-specific service constraints" in Production and Operations Management, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 199-215.
40. Novak, S., Eppinger, S.D. (2001), "Sourcing by design: product complexity and the supply chain" in Management Science, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 189-204.
41. Pine, B.J., Victor, B., Boynton, A.C. (1993), "Making mass customization work" in Harvard Business Review, Vol. 71, No. 9, pp. 108-19.
42. Primo, M.A.M., Amundson, S.D. (2002), "An exploratory study of the effects of supplier relationships on new product development outcomes" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 33-52.
43. Rosenzweig, E.D., Roth, A.V. (2004), "Towards a theory of competitive progression: evidence from high-tech manufacturing" in Production and Operations Management, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 354-68.
44. Salvador, F. (2007), "Toward a product system modularity construct: literature review and reconceptualization" in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 219-40.
45. Sanchez, R. (1996), "Strategic flexibility in product competition" in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 16, pp. 135-59.
46. Sanchez, R. (1999), "Modular architectures in the marketing process" in Journal of Marketing, Vol. 63, pp. 92-111.
47. Sanchez, R., Collins, R.P. (2001), "Competing - and learning - in modular markets" in Long Range Planning, Vol. 34, No. 6, pp. 645-67.
48. Sanchez, R., Mahoney, J.T. (1996), "Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge management in product and organization design" in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17, pp. 63-76.
49. Schilling, M.A. (2000), "Toward a general modular systems theory and its application to interfirm product modularity" in Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 312-34.
50. Schroeder, R.G., Flynn, B.B. (2001), High Performance Manufacturing: Global Perspective, Wiley, New York, NY.
51. Schumacker, R.E., Lomax, R.G. (1996), A Beginner's Guide to Structural Equation Modeling, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ.
52. Simon, H.A. (1969), The Sciences of the Artificial, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
53. Sosa, M.E., Eppinger, S.D., Rowles, C.M. (2004), "The misalignment of product architecture and organizational structure in complex product development" in Management Science, Vol. 50, No. 12, pp. 1674-89.
54. Star, M.K. (1965), "Modular production, a new concept" in Harvard Business Review, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 131-42.
55. Swaminathan, J.M., Lee, H.L. (2003), "Design for postponement" in Graves, S., de Kok, T. (Eds.), Supply Chain Management - Handbook in OR/MS, Vol. 11, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 199-226.
56. Teece, D.J., Pisano, G., Shuen, A. (1997), "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management" in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 18, No. 7, pp. 509-33.
57. Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M.A., Ragu-Nathan, T.S. (2001), "The impact of time-based manufacturing practices on mass customization and value to customer" in Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 201-17.
58. Tu, Q., Vonderembse, M.A., Ragu-Nathan, T.S., Ragu-Nathan, B. (2004), "Measuring modularity-based manufacturing practices and their impact on mass customization capability: a customer-driven perspective" in Decision Sciences, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 147-68.
59. Ulrich, K.T. (1995), "The role of product architecture in the manufacturing firm" in Research Policy, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 419-40.
60. Venkatesh, S., Swaminathan, J.M. (2003), "Managing product variety through postponement: concept and applications" in Billington, C., Harrison, T., Lee, H.L., Neale, J. (Eds.), The Practice of Supply Chain Management, Kluwer, Boston, MA, pp. 139-55.
61. Worren, N., Moore, K., Cardona, P. (2002), "Modularity, strategic flexibility, and firm performance: a study of the home appliance industry" in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 23, No. 12, pp. 1123-40.
62. Zwerink, R., Wouters, M., Hissel, P., Drongelen, I.K. (2007), "Cost management and cross-functional communication through product architectures" in R&D Management, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 49-64.