The Discreet Charm of Coordinating by Standardization

Coordination modes are the backbone of organization science but one of them, coordination by standardization, never received the attention it deserves. Standardization is most often associated with Taylorism, sometimes with the standardization of the competencies of professionals, but it is seldom seen as one of the most nuanced, subtle and effective activities in which organization members can engage. We show that standardization is often employed by top management in order to steer organizations without falling into the pitfalls of micromanagement, and that standardization is eventually brought about by low-level members of the hierarchy who manage to influence the structure of shared resources. We illustrate our points with a series of detailed examples.