Interorganizational Standardization

Most of today’s industries are structured highly horizontal. Firms grow horizontally, but cooperate vertically. Just two decades ago, a few firms covered the whole computer industry. Today, a myriad of extremely specialized players form adaptive value webs to quickly supply latest products and react to changing demands. This can only be achieved through flexible interorganizational relationships, which can be established and terminated in very short time spans. In such a highly dynamic “Lego Economy” play new concepts for interorganizational information systems a major role. ebXML, RosettaNet, and Semantic Web Services are just the better known examples. In all of these approaches, the standardization of interorganizational processes is critical point. While the basic technical problems are almost solved, there is still a lot of confusion, how standards on business level can be set, and what that means for firms’ strategy.

Project Goal

The main goal of this research project is to better understand the process of interorganizational standardization. Drawing on theoretical and empirical insights, recommendations will be given how to efficiently manage interorganizational standardization.

Approach

Thus, this research project draws on different theories to analyze the fundamental phenomena of standardizing in such a Web-based “Lego Economy”. Namely, the perspectives technical development, economic decision, and social construction are discussed. Using the somewhat unorthodox actor-network theory, several in-depth case studies are conducted on the interorganizational standardization initiatives ebXML, RosettaNet and several others. These case studies are further assessed from the theoretical perspectives to eventually state concrete theses on interorganizational standardization. Finally, derived recommendations sketch efficient ways of participating or leading in interorganizational standardization.

Project Sponsor

Institute for Information, Organization and Management

Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Arnold Picot / Ulrich M. Löwer

Duration

3 years (12/2001 - 12/2004)

Results

Publications

Löwer, U. M. (2005):

Interorganisational Standards -- Managing Web Services Specifications for Flexible Supply Chains, Contributions to Management Science, Springer-Physica, also dissertation thesis at Ludwig-Maximilans-University Munich (in English).

Löwer, U. M. (2005):

A Model for the Classification of Interorganisational Standards,

in Cremers, A. B. et al.: Informatik 2005 Informatik Live!, Band 2, Lecture Notes in Informatics, GI-Edition, pp. 390-394 (in English).

Löwer, U. M. (2005):

Actor-Network Theory - A Useful Theory for Relevant IS Research?,

in: Information Systems ‘Unplugged’: Developing Relevant Research, Conference presentation and proceedings of UKAIS 2005 (in English).

Löwer, U. M. (2004): Management of Web-based Interorganizational Information Systems -- Bridging the Gap between EDI Reality and Semantic Web Services Visions, Thesis for the Master of Business Research degree.

Hauser, T.; Löwer, U. M. (2004): Web Services -- Die Standards, Galileo Computing (in German) [Get an electronic copy online!].

Neumeier, F.; Löwer, U. M.; Picot, A. (2003):

Das Semantic Web -- Neue Perspektiven für die verteilte Wertschöpfung?, in: Information Management & Consulting, 18 (3), pp. 77-82. (in German).

Löwer, U. M. (2003): Verschieben Web Services Unternehmensgrenzen? – Erklärungsansätze zweier Theorien der Unternehmung, Working Paper (in German).

Löwer, U. M.; Picot, A. (2002): Web Services – Technologie-Hype oder Strategie-Faktor?, in: Information Management & Consulting, 17 (3), S. 20-25 (in German).

Hauser, T.; Löwer, U. M. (2002): Das Web der Zukunft, in: Internet Professionell, November 2002, pp. 26-29 (in German)