Cross-fields Study of Modularity

Abstract

Modularity is the key way of innovation and mass customization, and it is the process of decomposition and integration of whole object in logic. The situation of modularity is in a middle section of the complexity continuum. While study modular innovation in service product and process, we found there are many fields employed modularity, such as economics, psychology, design, and production, etc. In this paper, we investigate its common characteristics in cross-fields. Firstly, we establish a cross-fields union framework for modularity analysis based on multi-fields, which including function, structure, and interaction aspects. This framework is different from Baldwin and Clark's modularity 1-2-3 for purpose. Secondly, the common and difference of modularity in different social sciences are investigated, which involving labor division and industrial organization in economics, modularity cognition in psychology, and structuralism theory in sociology, etc. Thirdly, the common and difference of modularity in different nature sciences are investigated too, which involving electron industry, software engineering and OOP in software development, standardization and modular manufacture in machine, etc. Finally, we summarize the conclusions and hints under union framework. We found bus modularity is more common in cross-fields in Ulrich's modularity classification. And modularity is the signal of struggle between structuralism and synthesis thought. There are amalgamation trend while the development of modularity