City Research Online

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between product modularity and innovation in 101 R&D teams. The key contribution and the departure from prior empirical work consists in bringing into relation multidimensional operationalizations of these two concepts. Product modularity is composed of standardization and reconfigurability and innovation of novelty and efficiency. Theory provides arguments for both negative and positive relationships between standardization and the two types of innovation, while positive relationships are argued for product reconfigurability. The empirical findings corroborate most of the theorizing, although negative relationships are found for standardization. This study contributes to the literature by unpacking the understanding of the concept of product modularity in R&D organizations since the multidimensional approach resolves some of the ambiguity from previous studies. The modularity literature long called for studies to empirically investigate product modularity in more than one dimension implying a number of theoretical implications discussed here.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Industrial and Corporate Change following peer review. The version of record will be available online at: https://academic.oup.com/icc
Publisher Keywords:	Standardization, Reconfigurability, Product modularity, Innovation, Teams, R&D
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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