Organizing in the age of digital product platforms : The work of integrated vehicle control engineers

• As flexibility and generativity of digitized information continuously afford new possibilities, a significant challenge for organizations becomes pinpointing practices that are befitting from various aspects. Two overarching digitization eras have so far determined the greatness of the challenge for organizations; 'computerization', and 'the Internet'. Today, a third era of digitization is marked by the emergence of digitized products. As increasing numbers of code line and software are being incorporated in previously physical products such as cars, they can be used as complete products on one layer, and simultaneously turn into platforms enabling other firms to develop and integrate new components, content, or services on another layer. As digital product platform's multiple design layers need to be open to various applications and agendas, their development requires new justifications and approaches for organizing work. By applying a Neo Socio-Technical Systems frame of reference on the work of engineers as they engage in developing digitized products, we 1. discuss changes of work and organizing along three eras of digitization, 2. provide a rich empirical instance by identifying what steps engineers take in preparation for developing digital product platforms, and 3. discuss the implications of these steps for the literature on practice and organizing. ©Copyright held by the author(s).

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Systemvetenskap, informationssystem och informatik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Information Systems (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Analog to digital conversion; Control system synthesis; Digital integrated circuits; Engineers

Complete products; Digital products; Frame of reference; Integrated vehicle controls; Neo-STS; Physical products; Sociotechnical systems; Work structures

Product design

Work Integrated Learning

Arbetsintegrerat lärande

Informatik

Informatics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)