Topic: Interdependence as Constraint and Capability: on the Hunt for Architectural Knowledge in Formula One Teams
Speaker：Dr. Charles Williams (Department of Management and Technology, Università Bocconi).
Date：2023/01/11
Time：11:00-12:30
Venue：CM4112
Register： https://tinyurl.com/msrc0111
Notice：There will be a further confirmation letter.

This paper explores whether organizations vary in their architectural knowledge, or ability to manage interdependence in complex technical systems. We use the setting of Formula 1 auto racing to compare teams forced to change tire supplier in 2007 to those that were not. We find that teams facing a change in supplier performed worse as a result of problems created by interdependencies between tires and other components. Among teams that faced this change, however, those that actively managed interdependent components had fewer technical problems and higher performance. In addition, we explore whether adaptations by suppliers had the same positive effect as for components controlled by the team and find they did not. Finally, we explore the characteristics of teams that exhibit more architectural knowledge and find that those with greater team familiarity – shared tenure among top management – show more ability to apply architectural knowledge. Together, these results suggest that architectural knowledge is valuable for organizations adapting to change in complex systems, and it is an adaptive property of more mature leadership teams. The evidence also suggests that the ability to apply architectural knowledge is not a property of the entire system but rather a capability that resides within the boundaries of the system integrator.