Title: The strategic consortia movement in standardisation

Authors: Masami Kajiura

Addresses: Faculty of Business and Commerce, Aichi-Gakuin University, 12 Araike, Iwasaki-cho, Nissin-city, Aichi, Japan

Abstract: Formal standardisation has been increasing in recent years. This standardisation is conducted by international formal standardisation organisations (i.e., ISO, IEC, ISO/IEC JTC1) and the consortium plays an important role in this process. The consortium is mainly established and managed by competitive multinational companies (MNCs). The formal standard-oriented consortia have appeared as a mutual alliance between MNCs. This paper examines the consortium contents (i.e., the origin, the cause, formative process, variety and characteristics). Such consortia deal with diffusion of technology standards. Two consortia, Ecma International and JAISA cases, relating to automated identification technology (AIT) are introduced in the article. Also, this article shows how structural changes in the information communication technology (ICT) industrial market affect the formation of consortia and standardisation. This structure change has affected diffusion of technology. The analysis addresses historical significance and covers organisational sociological approach literature. Finally, the author proposes a model of the competition predominant structure of standardisation that illustrate success business model with a flow chart.

Keywords: consortia; technology standards; standards diffusion; standardisation; automatic identification technology; AIT; Ecma International; JAISA; autoID; ICT.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2010.035440

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2010 Vol.21 No.3/4, pp.324 - 339

Published online: 30 Sep 2010 *

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