The Statistical Mechanics of Complex Product Development: Empirical
and Analytical Results
D. BRAHA, and Y. BAR-YAM. Management Science, 53 (7):
1127-1145(July 2007)
Abstract
In recent years, understanding the structure and function of complex
networks has become the foundation for explaining many different
real-world complex biological, technological, and informal social
phenomena. Techniques from statistical physics have been successfully
applied to the analysis of these networks, and have uncovered surprising
statistical structural properties that have also been shown to have
a major effect on their functionality, dynamics, robustness, and
fragility. This paper examines, for the first time, the statistical
properties of strategically important organizational networks�networks
of people engaged in distributed product development (PD)�and discusses
the significance of these properties in providing insight into ways
of improving the strategic and operational decision making of the
organization. We show that the structure of information flow networks
that are at the heart of large-scale product development efforts
have properties that are similar to those displayed by other social,
biological, and technological networks. In this context, we also
identify novel properties that may be characteristic of other information-carrying
networks. We further present a detailed model and analysis of PD
dynamics on complex networks, and show how the underlying network
topologies provide direct information about the characteristics of
these dynamics. We believe that our new analysis methodology and
empirical results are also relevant to other organizational information-carrying
networks.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Braha2007
%A BRAHA, D.
%A BAR-YAM, Y.
%D 2007
%J Management Science
%K complex development; engineering large-scale networks; organizational product social sociotechnical studies; systems systems;
%N 7
%P 1127-1145
%T The Statistical Mechanics of Complex Product Development: Empirical
and Analytical Results
%V 53
%X In recent years, understanding the structure and function of complex
networks has become the foundation for explaining many different
real-world complex biological, technological, and informal social
phenomena. Techniques from statistical physics have been successfully
applied to the analysis of these networks, and have uncovered surprising
statistical structural properties that have also been shown to have
a major effect on their functionality, dynamics, robustness, and
fragility. This paper examines, for the first time, the statistical
properties of strategically important organizational networks�networks
of people engaged in distributed product development (PD)�and discusses
the significance of these properties in providing insight into ways
of improving the strategic and operational decision making of the
organization. We show that the structure of information flow networks
that are at the heart of large-scale product development efforts
have properties that are similar to those displayed by other social,
biological, and technological networks. In this context, we also
identify novel properties that may be characteristic of other information-carrying
networks. We further present a detailed model and analysis of PD
dynamics on complex networks, and show how the underlying network
topologies provide direct information about the characteristics of
these dynamics. We believe that our new analysis methodology and
empirical results are also relevant to other organizational information-carrying
networks.
@article{Braha2007,
abstract = {In recent years, understanding the structure and function of complex
networks has become the foundation for explaining many different
real-world complex biological, technological, and informal social
phenomena. Techniques from statistical physics have been successfully
applied to the analysis of these networks, and have uncovered surprising
statistical structural properties that have also been shown to have
a major effect on their functionality, dynamics, robustness, and
fragility. This paper examines, for the first time, the statistical
properties of strategically important organizational networks�networks
of people engaged in distributed product development (PD)�and discusses
the significance of these properties in providing insight into ways
of improving the strategic and operational decision making of the
organization. We show that the structure of information flow networks
that are at the heart of large-scale product development efforts
have properties that are similar to those displayed by other social,
biological, and technological networks. In this context, we also
identify novel properties that may be characteristic of other information-carrying
networks. We further present a detailed model and analysis of PD
dynamics on complex networks, and show how the underlying network
topologies provide direct information about the characteristics of
these dynamics. We believe that our new analysis methodology and
empirical results are also relevant to other organizational information-carrying
networks.},
added-at = {2011-08-05T23:56:19.000+0200},
author = {BRAHA, D. and BAR-YAM, Y.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2ffc42e665894ed921de8dd2e783075b8/lgmarujo},
file = {:Docencia\\Product Development\\Braha_Bar-yam Stat Mech PD ManSci
July 2007.pdf:PDF},
interhash = {e1615ed3e79dcf272ee06558d006845e},
intrahash = {ffc42e665894ed921de8dd2e783075b8},
journal = {Management Science},
keywords = {complex development; engineering large-scale networks; organizational product social sociotechnical studies; systems systems;},
month = {July},
number = 7,
owner = {Lino},
pages = {1127-1145},
timestamp = {2011-08-05T23:56:20.000+0200},
title = {The Statistical Mechanics of Complex Product Development: Empirical
and Analytical Results},
volume = 53,
year = 2007
}