Technological Determinism and Modularity: Lessons from a Comparison between Aircraft and Auto Industries in Europe

Submitted by Vincent Frigant, Université de Bordeaux on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 21:28

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Frigant, Vincent; Talbot, Damien

Source:

Industry and innovation, Volume 12, Issue 3, p.337-355 (2005)

URL:

http://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/indinn/v12y2005i3p337-355.html

Keywords:

aircraft, automobile, Modular production, supplier relationships, technological determinism

Abstract:

Initial studies of modular manufacturing processes have shown that this dominant design required a fundamentally novel organisational structure of the industries. The underlying hypothesis of technological determinism merits a deeper exploration. The first part of the present paper aims at presenting the logic of this argument while making a distinction between the technological and organisational aspects of modularity. Based on this we then attempt a study of the manner in which the transition to modularity takes place in the aircraft and automobile industries. Our main conclusion is that while it may be possible to posit a convergence between these two industries, the paths followed are still quite clearly opposed.