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A central issue in knowledge integration is how to achieve and maintain an optimal trade-off between differentiation and commonalization of knowledge. Too much emphasis on either side aggravates the efficiency of integration. The purpose of this paper is to make an inquiry into the trade-off problem from a particular theoretical perspective called the Activity Domain Theory. Two constructs from this theory are employed: the activity domain and the activity modalities. The activity domain frames the social fabric around actors working towards a common target, and the activity modalities are suggested as main dimensions through which humans coordinate their actions. We will utilize these constructs in analyzing a case study from ABB, a leading supplier of high-voltage equipment all over the world. Our conclusions are two-fold. First, complete commonality enforcement clashes inevitably with activity domain internal ideology. Second, management means such as images, need to be aligned with the activity modalities in order to achieve an optimal balance between anarchy, i.e., no commonality at all, and despotism, i.e., complete commonality. Based on these results, we suggest that the Activity Domain Theory may open up previously untrodden paths for theorizing about knowledge integration

In this paper we propose a workpractice approach towards operationalizing the coordination of mega-projects. The approach matured over several years in development practice at Ericsson, a major supplier of telecommunication products and services worldwide. Key points in the approach are the management of critical dependencies and the construction of a communal understanding on how to coordinate projects. Coordination is seen as a workpractice, where actors provide coordination services to the project. We discuss some results from the application of the approach in relation to an ideal-type classification of mega-projects such as Weber, Rambo and Gaia. The main conclusion is that the suggested approach enables the coordination of extraordinarily complex mega-projects.

This paper investigates the use of a construct called the system anatomy for planning and controlling projects developing complex systems. The anatomy shows, in a compact form, the most crucial dependencies in the system from the perspective of how it ‘comes-to-life’, hence the concept of an ‘anatomy’. The key point in using the anatomy for project planning is to develop and verify the system in the same order as it ‘comes-to-life’. The project plan in made up in three steps. The first step is to define the anatomy itself. This is followed by the grouping of functions into verifiable integration steps called increments. Finally, regular time and resource plans are made for each increment. Thus, the planning can be characterized as an integration driven procedure. This approach has been used extensively at Ericsson, a leading manufacturer of telecommunication systems worldwide. It has proven to be very successful, especially in terms of promoting communication and developing a shared understanding about the project. system anatomy, project management, integration driven development, Ericsson, commonality of meaning