Standards are ubiquitous in contemporary society and play a clear role in technological development, organizational functioning, and business success. Standards are very diverse and often boundary crossing in terms of stakeholders and impact, but are such diversity and range reflected by academic studies? We take stock of standardization research over the past decade, considering the full interdisciplinary breadth of this growing field. We use bibliometrics and network analysis to map emergent trends, and conduct an in-depth review of the literature. In doing so, we find that management science, along with economics, is at the core of work on standardization, bridging academic disciplines, and leading theoretical development. Technical disciplines, such as engineering and computer science, supply the largest body of literature, but rarely cross disciplinary boundaries and remain rather isolated. Building on our review, we discuss current debates and controversies and distill four interpretative perspectives on the recent and current developments of standardization research. Finally, we propose a research agenda for standardization research and practice for the years to come.@en

Working conditions of gig workers on platforms such as Uber, Lyft, and Deliveroo raise concerns due to lack of labor protections, low pay, and precarious working arrangements. The recent Directive proposal by the European Commission on Platform Work (Directive 2021/880) aims to address such concerns. However, it provides guidelines for afterwards repair rather than for the anticipation of recurring problems related to platforms. Network effects, inherent to platform companies, lead to winner-takes-all situations and, next, the disadvantages of monopolistic behavior. Moreover, the profit-driven business models of the platform companies lead to societal disadvantages such as poor labor conditions. Then the network effects and resulting monopolistic situation multiply these negative side effects. While the European Directive represents a step forward, it does not prevent new cases of misbehavior. In this blog we argue that policy makers willing to mitigate negative effects of platforms may learn lessons from the field of standardization — a comprehensive multi-stakeholder approach may anticipate dominance of new platforms and promote a fairer and more transparent economy. To achieve this, a concerted effort from policymakers, academics, industry, and civil society is needed, to ensure that platforms operate in a way that promotes social dialogue between all stakeholders.@en

Management system certification signals that the organization meets international standards, which provides a certain confidence in the company. This confidence is in particular needed for exporting companies in developing countries. Because the business world is dominated by men, female leadership might be another reason to have less confidence in a company. Women-led companies may therefore benefit more from certification. Therefore, this study empirically tests the impact of certification on export, and the moderating effect of female leadership. We use data from enterprise surveys conducted by the World Bank in 2013 that include 4111 firms from 25 Central and Eastern European countries in transition. We implement a recursive bivariate probit model and an extensive sensitivity analysis to account for endogeneity issues. Results confirm that certification and export are positively correlated. Firms managed by females benefit more from certification based on international standards than firms managed by men, especially in the service sector. This suggests that certification compensates for the possibly negative connotations of female leadership. Female managers may consider implementing a management system and get it certified, resulting in a competitive advantage in export markets. Our findings provide food for thought for purchase managers–are they free from prejudice?.@en

A technical standards alliance (TSA) is a collection of firms organized for a common goal: developing, revising, and promoting technical standards. A firm may participate in standardization through one or more TSAs: its TSA network. However, little is known about the influencing factors and their boundary conditions for gaining firm-level benefits from such involvement. This study fills this gap. Drawing on a network perspective on standardization, we examine the effect of the firm's TSA network and its absorptive capacity. Using a sample of 437 Chinese IT and automotive industry firms participating in non-governmental Chinese standardization groups, we find positive impacts of participation. A firm's central position and relationship strength within a TSA network positively affect firm performance, and absorptive capacity contributes to this effect. Environmental uncertainty acts as a moderator in the relationship between absorptive capacity and firm performance. These findings add to the literature on the impacts of standardization and are informative for companies that consider participating in standardization.@en

Many organizations have embraced agile methods. Studies show a trend of large-scale application of agile frameworks company-wide. Emergent architecture design as part of an agile approach is effective at the project level but causes issues when services need to interact seamlessly at the enterprise level. Enterprise architecture (EA) can provide such coherence. Combining the scaling agile methods with EA is challenging. However, such a combination could benefit from the flexibility that agile approaches offer and provide the consistency and long-term focus that EA pursues. This article uses the longitudinal case study research to explore how organizations can effectively govern Agile and EA in large-scale agile transformations. Our case analysis shows that methods for scaling Agile do not provide sufficient guidance to properly handle the transformation from existing EA practices to an Agile EA combination company-wide. We propose how EA can be applied effectively in large-scale agile transformations despite the two seemingly conflicting approaches of Agile and EA. Based on our findings, we propose a conceptual model for future research that incorporates factors that take EA into account in the governance of agile-scaling frameworks. Our findings extend current literature on coordination mechanisms between architects and agile teams in large-scale agile transformations, thereby balancing emergent and intentional architectures. @en

De coronapandemie is hardnekkig. Nieuw-Zeeland kan succesvol zijn omdat het een eiland is. China gebruikt overheidsdwang. Maar Nederland is geen eiland en de Chinese aanpak past niet bij onze open en vrije cultuur. En nu onze overheid toch meer regels oplegt, groeit de weerstand. Zijn er betere alternatieven? Welke aanpak past echt bij Nederland? Daarvoor kunnen we te rade gaan bij Abraham Kuyper. Zijn denken kan helpen om de huidige aanpak te analyseren en te zien hoe het beter kan.@en

Standard-setting organizations (SSOs) establish goal-directed networks for innovators to jointly shape technology and markets through standards. The degree to which this can succeed depends to a large extent on network characteristics, which may differ substantially between SSOs. Many technological fields face intense competition between SSOs. Choosing the right one is thus a key strategic decision for innovators. Simultaneously, SSOs must reflect members’ preferences in their network set-ups and governance. Yet, little is known about these preferences. Based on extant literature, we derive hypotheses about how three themes of network attributes (membership base, rules, transaction costs) and contextual factors drive decision makers’ preferences. We conduct a comprehensive choice experiment with 141 standardization professionals in the Internet of Things field. Based on our data, we provide a more realistic indication of what firms value in SSOs than has been previously available. We also discuss our results’ implications for studying networks in other contexts.@en

This book examines education about standardisation in the context of sustainable management. It shows the role of standardisation education in the global economy, and in markets, industries and businesses. The book presents knowledge on standardisation for sustainable management, describes measures that can be taken to stimulate it, and highlights strategies for teaching and disseminating the concept. Subsequently presenting a number of best practices and case studies, the book seeks to align theory and practice. For researchers, this is the first academic publication that interconnects the concepts of sustainability, standardisation and education. For professionals in the area of sustainability it shows that standardisation is an essential instrument for enhancing sustainability for which proper education is needed. For standardisation professionals the book reveals the links to sustainability and it shows not only the importance of education about standardisation but also how this can be organised, and finally, for universities, the book shows that standardisation deserves to be included in the curriculum, and it provides guidance and best practice examples about how this can be done.@en

A natural step in the development of disciplines is that practitioners establish communities to share knowledge and experience, and further develop the field. This chapter presents literature on such Communities of Practice and Networks of Practice, and applies the findings to the field of standardisation. Some of the existing organisations are described. It can be concluded that these unite a limited number of standardisation professionals, often full timers, but most people involved in standardization work are part timers and not organised yet. Establishment of professional communities per standardisation task may help to improve the situation but broader communities of standardization professionals and academic researchers in this field are needed as well.@en

This book explores the paradox of the hospitality industry: customers demand not only personal and innovative tourism products and services, but also cost-effective ones. Enterprises have the option to meet the former demand by offering authentic products and services while the latter could be achieved through standardization. Although it seems ideal to combine both concepts, they seemingly contradict each other leading to suppliers facing an authenticity-standardization paradox. The authors identify, analyze, and provide solutions for this authenticity-standardization paradox based on a series of case studies of restaurants in China. This book will be of interest to scholars, business owners, and consultants.

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Nanotechnology is an amazing field of innovation – both in terms of the materials used and of products made. However, the technology carries many risks and uncertainties: it may pose harm to people, nature, and the environment. Is an assessment of the potentially adverse impacts of nanomaterials and nanoproducts necessary before they can be brought onto the market? Many researchers see a need for legislation, but could setting standards be an alternative, either alone or in combination with legislation? This paper will argue that standards can enable innovation while also addressing the broader societal impact of nanotechnology. This chapter will first introduce the relation between standardisation and innovation in general. Next, it will describe and discuss current activities of the International Organization for Standardization ISO in this field. Section 3 will address the possible harm – the precautionary principle, and the possible role of legislation and standards. This chapter is based on lessons from literature combined with the author’s own practical experience in other fields of standardisation and innovation. @en

Standards are essential for the success of products and services in the market, and for the well-functioning of processes and organisations. Trends such as globalisation, integration of ICT and electrotechnology in almost every sector, and the increased attention for sustainability, have made standards even more important. Unfortunately, little research is available to provide a better understanding of this phenomenon. In my inaugural lecture I first give an overview of the research I have conducted on the processes of standardisation. I discuss standards development, dissemination, market acceptance, implementation and use, and impact of standards and standardisation on business and society. In future research, my research agenda will focus on three levels of standardisation management: (1) within companies, (2) in complex projects involving many stakeholders, and (3) at local, national, regional and global level. I illustrate the societal relevance of my research with some examples about animals.@en

Many companies have embarked on IT standardization initiatives with specific benefits in mind, but some projects fail dramatically whereas others are very successful. The research suggests that successful company standardization projects require good governance and management across distinct lifecycle phases: selection, implementation, and use and change. The authors present a case study from a financial services company to demonstrate effective practices that have led to significant financial benefits, to improved service delivery and support, and to a more stable IT environment. In addition, the authors discuss how an agile way of working could further improve standardization initiatives in organizations.@en

Standards may be an advantage for a company, but employees often resist them because they feel they are forced to behave in a certain way. Even a broad approach like TQM seems to have to too little focus on the ‘human aspects’ to prevent resistance and failure during change projects like in-company standardization. This paper uses a philosophical approach to study why staff tend to resist company standardisation initiatives. Foucault and Habermas provide insights into the reasons for this resistance but do not solve the tension between freedom and control. Dooyeweerd’s philosophy seems to be more promising. This paper uses a company standardisation project of an automotive supplier to examine three philosophical approaches to understand resistance to standards and to investigate how this resistance can be avoided by managing in-company standardisation in a more holistic way.@en