This document discusses understanding project-based production through a socio-technical modularity framework. It proposes using actor-network theory to analyze modularity, defining modules as stabilized groups of human and non-human actors. This approach allows understanding product, process and organizational modularity dynamically. It provides a framework to analyze a project's market, product, organization, process and institutional influences. Further research is needed to clarify the modularity concept and empirically study socio-technical systems' modularity.

1. Understanding Project Based Production
through Socio-technical Modularity
AOM 2012, Boston
Christian Thuesen
chth@dtu.dk
dk.linkedin.com/in/matute

2. Areas of interest
2 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

3. Project Based Production
• An increasing amount the production in of our society is realized
through projects.
• Some examples are
– construction industry (buildings, infrastructure…)
– offshore projects (shipbuilding, oil & gas rigs…)
– creative projects (movies, theatrical productions, festivals…)
– IT projects (IT development, programming…)
• These cases on project based production (PBP) combines in
various degrees technologies and practices from
industrialized production and project management
3 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

4. Challenges of Project based Production
Order Chaos
Disciplinary Interdisciplinary
Hierarchy Network
Standardized Unique
Efficiency Creativity
Linear Iterative
Bureaucratic Dynamic
Codifying Experimenting
Repetition Innovative
Class Individual
Degeneration
4 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Stress
Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

5. Possible solution… modularity
Order Chaos
Disciplinary Interdisciplinary
Hierarchy Network
Standardized Unique
Efficiency Creativity
Linear Iterative
Bureaucratic Dynamic
Codifying Experimenting
Repetition Innovative
Class Individual
Degeneration
5 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Stress
Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

6. What is modularization?
• Modularity is an attribute of a complex system that advocates designing
structures based on
– Minimizing interdependence between modules and
– Maximizing interdependence within them
that can be mixed and matched in order to obtain new configurations
without loss of the system’s functionality or performance
(Baldwin and Clark 1997; Langlois 1992).
• Each module communicates and interacts with the others via
standardized interfaces that allow modules’ decoupling
6 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Source: Campagnolo & Camuffo 2009
Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

7. Two ways to describe modularity
7 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Source: (Fixson 2003)
Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

8. Literature review of modularity
Campagnolo & Camuffo (2010) reviews 125 publications and finds:
• A complex field of studies offering different definitions, measures
and applications of the modularity concept
• Three main units of analysis
– product design modularity
– production system modularity
– organizational design modularity.
8 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

9. The shortcommings of existing theories
• Research is based on an assumption of technological determinism
(Campagnolo & Camuffo 2010, p 279).  hard to explain the dynamic
contexts and social entanglements of modularity
• “Modularity is mostly studied in static situations….  In reality, however,
no system is really static. Products change, processes evolve,
organizations adapt, and innovations appear, and all of these changes
are accelerating.” (Fixon 2006, p.31)
• No studies are capable of linking the three perspectives (Campagnolo
& Camuffo 2010, p. 277).
13 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

10. Requirements to a reinterpretation
• A reinterpretation of the concept of modularity should be
able to understand a system with
– physical and material artifacts
– social actors
• while at the same time both
– handle stability and dynamism…
14 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

11. Ambition
• to explore the possibilities for
understanding modularity from a socio-
technical perspective in general and actor
network theory in particular.
• More specifically is the intention to develop:
an approach for analyzing the modularity
of Project Based Productions practices
covering both social – technical and
dynamic – stable aspects.
• open up new avenues of research and
practice.
15 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

12. Actor Network Theory
• A theory of technology, science, social actors, society, nature and power,
all analyzed with the same conceptual framework (Callon 1986, Law 1992
& Latour 2005).
• Key concepts
– Network
– Actors
– Translations
• Principle of symmetry
– Covering both human and nonhuman actors
– An actor is an network and visa versa
• Not a normative theory subscribing predefined analytical categories any
importance
16 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

13. An exemplary case

14. Understanding the socio-technical modularity
Through: Actors…
18 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

15. Understanding the socio-technical modularity
Through: Actors, Network…
19 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

16. Understanding the socio-technical modularity
Through: Actors, Network, Translations…
20 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

17. Understanding the socio-technical modularity
Through: Actors, Network, Translations and Black boxes
21 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

18. Modularity in ANT
Modules = groups of actors (black
boxes) which have stabilized over
time.
Product stable collection of
modularity non human actors
Organizational stable collection of
modularity human (and non
human) actors
Process translations
modularity processes with a
high degree of
repetition among
certain actors
22 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

19. Types of modularity
Product
modularity
Organizational
modularity
Process
modularity
23 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Source: Campagnolo &(chth@dtu.dk)
Christian Thuesen Camuffo 2009

20. Consequences
Modularity is a matter of perspective
Different types of modularity
• Product, Process, Organizational
• Customer, User, Market
• Practices
• Institutionalized
24 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

21. Consequences
Modularity is in the making
Enables us to understand learning and innovation processes
• Reproductive/Incremental
Managerial challenge
• Disruptive/Radical
• Might be combined with existing normative
modularization tools like MFD and PVM
25 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

22. Framework for understanding the socio-technical
modularity of Project-based Production practices
Dimension Questions
Market To whom is it produced / delivered?
(customer/user/market)
Product What is produced / delivered?
(product/service/experience)
Organizational Who is producing / delivering it?
(organization/practice)
Process How is it produced / delivered?
(process/practice)
Institutional How is it influenced by institutional actors?
26 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

23. Directions for further studies
“For a hammer everything is a nail”
we must be reflective in our approach for
studying, designing and managing modularity
This opens up a research agenda regarding
• Clarification of the concept of Modularity
(theoretical and practical)
• Conducting empirical analysis of the modularity
of different socio-technical systems
• Development of tools and practices for
studying, designing and managing modularity.
27 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)

24. Questions and
comments
28 DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark Christian Thuesen (chth@dtu.dk)