Diffusion Of The Value Of Product Architecture

The effects of product architecture scatter in every field of enterprise management. Product architecture is not only important for product R&D, diffusion of product architecture in the value chain can also affect the whole industrial pattern. At present, there are many literatures which study abundant effects of product architecture in the fields of product innovation, competitive advantage, supply chain management and business model. But diffusion of the value of product architecture has not been studied. The research object of this paper was the value of product architecture. In the macro perspective of industry value chain, this paper excavated literatures and cases about the value of product architecture, and analyzed the diffusion discipline of the value of product architecture. Then, this paper analyzed the mechanism of diffusion between two functional departments from the micro perspective. With the introduction of diffusion theory and transactive memory system theory, this paper grasped resistance and pulling force in the diffusion and a conceptual model of diffusion of the value of product architecture was built, which was analyzed and verified with the survey research method. This paper provides a method to analyze the mechanism of diffusion of the value of product architecture, fills the theoretical blank of this field.Based on the literature review, this paper summarized performance of the value of product architecture in the value chain. Referring to the theory of diffusion of innovation and diffusionism method, this paper made a summary of four key elements of diffusion of the value of product architecture, which included diffusion source-product architecture itself, diffusion channel-organization, diffusion process and diffusion effect. Thus, this paper introduced four variables, that is product architecture complexity, organizational modularity, organizational transactive memory and diffusion effect. Then, the conceptual model of diffusion of the value of product architecture was built, with relevant theoretical hypothesis. This paper used survey research method to carry out the questionnaire survey in the machinery and equipment manufacturing enterprises, where the concept of product architecture can be seen obviously. The model was verified and modified through descriptive statistical analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation analysis.This paper makes conclusions as followings:.1) complexity of product architecture has a negative effect on organizational transactive memory and diffusion scale and speed of the value of product architecture, and it has no obvious relationship with specialization and credibility.2) Besides specialization<---responsiveness, credibility<---responsiveness, scale<---distinctiveness, speed<---distinctiveness, organizational modularity has a positive effect on other dimensionalities of organizational transactive memory and diffusion.3) As an intervening variable, organizational transactive memory has a positive effect on diffusion of the value of product architecture.Considering the real context of enterprise, this paper proposes suggestions about improving diffusion of the value of product architecture in the view of product architecture, organizational modularity and organizational transactive memory, combined with the result of empirical analysis, which provides decision-making reference for product management and organization management in the enterprise.