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Engineers and Work in Global Design Networks of the Semiconductor Industry Is Structured As Follows

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Engineers and Work in Global Design Networks of the Semiconductor Industry Is Structured As Follows Engineers and Work in Global Design Networks of the Semiconductor Industry Inauguraldissertation zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie im Fachbereich Soziologie der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität zu Frankfurt am Main vorgelegt von Peter Pawlicki aus: Bytom, Polen Frankfurt, Oktober 2012 1. Gutachter: PD. Dr. Boy Lüthje 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schumm 2 Contents Figures and Tables ............................................................................................................................. 5 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................. 7 1. Engineering work in the semiconductor industry – why? ............................................................. 9 1.1. Short remarks on methodology ............................................................................................................ 17 2. Industry, internationalization and innovation. Work and industrial restructuring ...................... 20 2.1. Globalization of work. Dynamics of production and innovation in theoretical perspective ............... 21 2.1.1. Global Commodity Chains ........................................................................................................... 21 2.1.2. Global Value Chains .................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.3. Global Production Networks ........................................................................................................ 29 2.1.4. Global Design Networks .............................................................................................................. 32 2.1.5. Modularization ............................................................................................................................. 35 2.1.6. Upgrading ..................................................................................................................................... 38 2.1.7. Work ............................................................................................................................................. 41 2.2. The changing face of innovation. Architectural innovation, capabilities and industry organization in globalizing markets .................................................................................................................................... 46 2.3. The place of innovation work. R&D locations and their various functions in Global Design Networks ............................................................................................................................................................51 2.4. Complex relations. Summary and development of guiding questions ................................................. 54 3. Organization and Geography of the Semiconductor Industry ..................................................... 60 3.1. The Semiconductor Sector – organization, geography and technology ............................................... 61 3.1.1. Formation and internationalization of the semiconductor industry .............................................. 61 3.1.2. The state as driver in industry development ................................................................................. 65 3.1.3. Commodification of knowledge and increased modularization ................................................... 68 Electronic Design Automation .......................................................................................................... 69 Semiconductor Intellectual Property – re-using knowledge ............................................................. 71 3.1.4. Geographical and organizational dynamics of the electronics industry ....................................... 73 Market shifts and changing product characteristics .......................................................................... 76 3.1.5. Technology dynamics – costs, differences, opportunities and draw-backs ................................. 78 Digital and analog – two different sides of semiconductors ............................................................. 82 Design automation – its limits as drivers of internationalization ...................................................... 84 Rationalization through design methodologies revised ..................................................................... 86 3.1.6. Fab-light and the disposal of manufacturing capabilities ............................................................. 88 3.1.7. The changing place of innovation interface ................................................................................. 93 Re-integration from the manufacturing side ...................................................................................... 93 Architectural innovation .................................................................................................................... 96 Foundries as network organizers ....................................................................................................... 98 3.1.8. The organizational landscape of the electronics industry .......................................................... 100 3.1.9. Mediatek – epitome of the dynamics in the electronics industry ............................................... 102 3.2. The Semiconductor Firm – three case studies in GDN integration and upgrading ........................... 107 3.2.1. The money conscious price specialist IDM ............................................................................... 107 Upgrading as a continuous process in intra-organizational GDN ................................................... 109 Local characteristics – enabling upgrading and driving adjustments .............................................. 115 GDN development and upgrading ................................................................................................... 117 3.2.2. Standard based SIPs of exotic origin .......................................................................................... 121 Problematic upgrading for a small partner in inter-organizational GDN ........................................ 123 The local labor market as barrier for upgrading .............................................................................. 128 GDN position and upgrading ........................................................................................................... 129 3.2.3. The slashed IDM ........................................................................................................................ 135 Differentiated upgrading in a developed location ........................................................................... 138 Drying-out labor market as future threat for upgrading .................................................................. 143 GDN position and upgrading ........................................................................................................... 146 3.3. Triangular restructuring and local integration on industry and firm level ......................................... 150 3 4. Knowledge, control and internationalization in the chip design labor process ......................... 155 4.1. Labor process – perspectives on work, control and skills .................................................................. 156 4.1.1. Responsible autonomy and direct control .................................................................................. 158 4.1.2. Structural forms of control ......................................................................................................... 161 4.1.3. Consent and commitment ........................................................................................................... 163 4.2. Knowledge and experience ................................................................................................................ 168 4.2.1. The tacit dimension of knowledge ............................................................................................. 171 4.3. Knowledge management as control ................................................................................................... 176 4.4. Strategies of control – analytical model and guiding questions ......................................................... 182 4.4.1. Task organization ....................................................................................................................... 186 4.4.2. Control structure ......................................................................................................................... 187 4.4.3. Lateral relations .......................................................................................................................... 189 4.4.4. Labor market relations ............................................................................................................... 191 4.4.5. Knowledge management ............................................................................................................ 192 4.4.6. Lateral dynamics ........................................................................................................................ 194 4.4.7. Guiding questions ....................................................................................................................... 195 5. The labor process in chip design – three case studies ............................................................... 200 5.1. Midtronic
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