Division of Labour and the Locus of Inventive Activity
Tóm tắt
This paper argues that modularity of knowledge andtechnologies has important implications for the locusof inventive activities. This is because modularityallows for a separation of the innovation process intwo main activities: The production of basic(standardised) modules, and their combination toproduce variants of technologies or product designsthat are better suited to the special needs ofindividual users or markets. This gives rise to adivision of labour whereby the production of moduleswill be performed by specialised upstream suppliers(who enjoy economies of scale), while the combinationof modules will be performed by firms furtherdownstream or by the users themselves. We then suggestthat this pattern can explain a variety of phenomenasuch as why users ’’co-produce‘‘ their innovations, andhow small regions can support innovative activitydespite the apparent efficiency advantage of largerregions.
Tài liệu tham khảo
Anand, B. & Khanna, T. (1997). Intellectual Property Rights and Contract Structure, Harvard Business School, Working Paper 97 #106.
Amin, A. (1993). The Globalization of the Economy: An Erosion of Regional Networks? In Grabher, G. (ed.) The Embedded Firm: On Socioeconomics of Industrial Networks. London: Routledge.
Amin, A. & Robins, K. (1990). Industrial Districts and Regional Development: Limits and Possibilities. In Pyke, F., Becattini, G. & Sengenberger, W. (eds.) Industrial Districts and Interfirm Cooperation in Italy. Geneva: International Institute for Labour Studies.
Arora, A. (1997). Patents, Licensing, and Market Structure in Chemicals, forthcoming, Research Policy.
Arora, A. & Gambardella, A. (1994). The Changing Technology of Technical Change: General and Abstract Knowledge and the Division of Innovative Labour. Research Policy 23(5): 523–532.
Arora, A. & Gambardella, A. (1996). Evolution of Industry Structure in the Chemical Industry. Working Paper N. 465, Center for Economic Policy Research, Stanford University, Stanford CA.
Cusumano, M. (1991). Japan's Software Factories. New York: Oxford University Press.
Di Bernardo, B. & Rullani, E. (1990). Il Management e le Macchine. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Frosch, R.A. (1996). The Customer for R&D is Always Wrong. Research Technology Management, November-December, pp. 22–26.
Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic Action and Social Structure. The Problem of Embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology 91(3): 481–510.
Hofman, D.J. & Rockart, J.F. (1994). Application Templates: Faster, Better, and Cheaper Systems. Sloan Management Review Fall: 49–60.
Langlois, R.N. & Robertson, P.L. (1992). Networks and Innovation in a Modular System: Lessons from the Microcomputer and Stereo Component Industries. Research Policy 21: 297–313.
Levitt, C. (1983). The Globalization of Markets. Harvard Business Review May–June: 92–102.
McGrath, M.E. & Hoole, R.W. (1992). Manufacturing's New Economies of Scale. Harvard Business Review May–June: 94–102.
Nelson, R. (1959). The Simple Economics of Basic Scientific Research. Journal of Political Economy 67: 297–306.
Norman, R. & Ramirez, R. (1993). From Value Chain to Value Constellation: Designing Interactive Strategies. Harvard Business Review July–August: 65–77.
Pine, J.B. (1993). Mass Customization. Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Pine, J.B., Victor, B. & Boynton, A. (1993). Making Mass Customization Work. Harvard Business Review September–October: 108–119.
Romer, P. (1990). Endogenous Technological Change. Journal of Political Economy 98(5): S71–S102.
Sanchez, R. & Mahoney, J.T. (1995). Modularity, Flexibility, and Knowledge Management in Product and Organization Design. Working Paper N.95-0121, College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
von Hippel, E. (1990). Task Partitioning: An Innovation Process Variable. Research Policy 19: 407–418.
von Hippel, E. (1994). ‘Sticky Information’ and the Locus of Problem Solving: Implications for Innovation. Management Science 40(4): 429–439.
Womack, J.P, Jones, D.T. & Roos, D. (1990). The Machine that Changed the World. New York: MacMillan.