Publications
Publications
- 2015
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Modularity and Organizations
Abstract
Modularity describes the degree to which a complex system can be broken apart into subunits (modules) that can be recombined in various ways. Modularity is important for organizations and the economy because the boundaries of organizational units and corporations are likely to match the boundaries of underlying technological modules. (This correspondence is called "mirroring.") In this article, I explain the concept of modularity and describe how systems can be modularized. I then explain why mirroring is likely to be a commonly observed organizational pattern, review the empirical evidence, and conclude with open research questions.
Keywords
Citation
Baldwin, Carliss Y. "Modularity and Organizations." In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. 2nd ed. Edited by James D. Wright, 718–723. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2015.
