A World of Standards

An insightful discussion of the phenomenon of standardization in organizations and society at large. The authors regard standards as a form of regulation enabling a higher degree of global order in the modern world, and argue that they represent an alternative to markets and hierarchies as a mode of social organization. They facilitate coordination and cooperation on a global scale, creating similarities and homogeneity even among peoples and organizations that are quite different. This book provides an in-depth examination of standardization in different arenas.