Assessing the institutionalisation of knowledge in an automotive factory at Fiat.Coordinated by Mr. Giuliano Maielli: -Maielli, G. (2005). “Spot-Welding Technology and the Development of Robotics at Fiat, 1972-1987. A Case of Production Management Discontinuity?” Business History, Volume 47, N 1 January).

2. Sannie P. Ilenia V. Frederico N. Frederik V. Andrea V. Ana M.

3. • Explain path dependence through the two
case studies of FIAT:
– “Spot-Welding Technology and the Development
of Robotics at Fiat, 1972-1987. A Case of
Production Management Discontinuity?”
– “The institutionalisation of Knowledge in an
Automotive Factory: Templates, Inscriptions and
the Problem of Durability”

5. Spot-Welding Technology and the
Development of Robotics at Fiat, 1972-1987. A
Case of Production Management
Discontinuity?”

7. • About Fiat before the restructure endeavor
– Stable organizational structure (1920 - 1966)
– Dominated by production engineers
– Complexity containment and cost reduction approach
– Routines
• The restructuring process
– Fiat shift from inflexible to flexible production through
use of robotics in the spot-welding shop
– Robogate - the main evidence of the Fiat commitment to
developing flexible mass production

8. • Main purpose of the research - to test the
flexibility of Fiat’s production process
(i.e. ‘the rate of capacity utilisation of the production lines’)
• Results from the research:
– Localised and path-dependent introduction of
robotics
– Limited flexibility of production lines
– Same criteria for deployment of robotics as for the
inflexible automated technology
– Fiat did not maximize flexibility in spite of the massive
implementation of robotics

9. Data used
– unpublished data and documents from the Fiat Historical
Archives
– additional data
Utilisation rate of production lines - crucial variable for
comparison of inflexible and flexible technology
Three features of flexibility is defined according to three
features:
– plant flexibility
– product mix flexibility
– process flexibility

10. EXPECTATIONS
4500
7000

11. Segmented finishing part
Increase work-force

13. CAR PRODUCTION – FIAT PLANTS

14. AUTOMATED
ROBOGATE
AUTOMATED/
MANUAL
ROBOTICS

16. Path Dependence at Fiat

17. Lanzara, G.F. and Patriotta, G., (2007) The
Institutionalization of Knowledge in an Automotive
Factory: Templates, Inscriptions, and the Problem of
Durability. Journal of Organization Studies, 28(05),
pp. 635-660
Different focus
same organisation

19. BUILDING THE
NEW PATH
Institutionalization of
knowledge: D/A template
Organizational Structure
Integrated Factory Model
4 Operating Units: Stamping,
Body-welding, Painting and
Assembly
Elementary Technical Units
(UTE)
Management Structure
UTE Team Leaders

20. INSCRIPTION / DELEGATION
Signs
Template
Agency
Workforce

21. A PROBLEM OF
DURABILITY
Path dependence: can
organizational change last?
Vulnerability, reproduction
and durability of the
cognitive and institutional
order
Consequences: strikes from
2004

22. CONCLUSION
• The will and power of individual actors for path
creation and path dependency
• “Actors mobilize the past to generate new options”
(Garud et al., 2010)
• Routines and path dependence (Nelson and Winter,
1982)
• Path dependence- also institutional

23. REFERENCES
• Baumol, W. (2002). The Free-Market Innovation Machine: Analyzing the Growth Miracle of
Capitalism. Princeton University Press, Chapters 1.
• Garud, R, Kumaraswamy, A., Karnøe, P. (2010). “Path Dependence or Path Creation?” Journal of
Management Studies, 47:4. pp 760-774.
• Lanzara G., Patriotta, G. (2007). “The institutionalisation of Knowledge in an Automotive Factory:
Templates, Inscriptions and the Problem of Durability”. Organisation Studies, Vol. 28, Issue 5 (May).
• Maielli, G. (2005). “Spot-Welding Technology and the Development of Robotics at Fiat, 1972-1987.
A Case of Production Management Discontinuity?” Business History, Volume 47, N 1 (January).
• Nelson, R., and Winter, S. (1982) An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change, MIT Press, Chapter 1
• Sydow, J., Schreyögg, G., Koch, J. (2009). “Organizational Path-Dependence: Opening the Black Box”.
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 34, No 4, pp. 689-709.

24. QUESTIONS?