Organizational design and the changing role of standardization: a study of the Symbian alliance

Abstract

We connect the organization design literature to research on standardization to analyze a current empirical case, the development of the Symbian alliance. We focus on formal co-operation between competitive firms to develop technology and how these formal collaborations relate to the changing role of standards to coordinate technological development. Over time, Symbian has navigated between de facto and formal modes of standardization, ending with an open-source foundation mandated to offer a 'public good'. We show the extent to which interfirmorganization of network alliances can change in line with changes in technological and competitive conditions. Further, our study demonstrates how organizational design might change, with the underlying standard remaining stable.