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Industries characterized by interfirm modularity, in which the component products of different firms work together to create a system, are becoming increasingly widespread. In such industries, the existence of a common architecture enables consumers to mix and match the products of different firms. Industries ranging from stereos, cameras, and bicycles to computers, printing, and wireless services are now characterized by interfirm modularity. While the increasing presence of this context has been documented, the implications for the product development process remain underdeveloped. For the present study, in-depth field-based case studies of seven firms experiencing an environment of interfirm modularity were conducted in order to deepen understanding of this important phenomenon. What unique challenges did this context pose and why? What solutions did firms experiment with, and which seemed to work?Based on an inductive process of data analysis from these case studies, three primary categories of challenges raised by this environment were identified. First, firms were frustrated at their lack of control over the definition of their own products. The set of features and functions in products were constrained to a great extent by an architecture that the firm did not control. Second, while an environment of interfirm modularity should in theory eliminate interdependencies among firms since interfaces between products are defined ex-ante, the present study found, ironically, that interdependencies were ubiquitous. Interdependencies continually emerged throughout the product development process, despite efforts to limit them. Third, firms found that the quantity and variegated nature of external relationships made their management exceedingly difficult. The sheer complexity was daunting, given both the size of the external network as well as the number of ties per external collaborator. Partners with whom control over the architecture was shared often had divergent interests-or at least not fully convergent interests.The solutions to these challenges were creative and in many cases counter to established wisdom. For instance, research has suggested many ways for a firm to influence architectural standards. While the firms in the present sample followed some of this advice, they also focused on a more neglected aspect of architecturethe compliance and testing standards that accompany modules and interfaces. By concentrating their efforts in a different area, even smaller firms in this sample were able to have some influence. Instead of focusing on the elimination of à We wish to gratefully acknowledge the support and feedback we received on this article from the editor of JPIM, Abbie Griffin, two anonymous JPIM referees,

died in November of 2000, at the age of 36, after battling a long illness. This paper is a testimony to Nancy's dedication, creativity, extraordinary colleagueship, and enthusiasm for her emerging career. Nancy was a gifted scholar whose love of learning shone in all her work. She brought energy, vision, and abundant talent to all that she did. She was an inspiring colleague who brought not just good ideas, but also the care and commitment to make those ideas happen. Nancy always contributed more than her share to projects, and she taught us all a good deal about the meaning of colleagueship and the importance of follow-through. As a friend, Nancy was unwavering, caring, thoughtful, and generous. She had a knack for reaching out to others and for providing just the kind words or warm gesture they needed. We feel extremely fortunate to have known Nancy as a colleague, a friend, a student, and a teacher.

Drawing from Karasek's job demands-control model, this study investigated how perceived amount and clarity of interdependency in managers' jobs affect role stress, and the extent to which job control moderates these relationships. Results show that amount of interdependency was positively associated with role conflict, and clarity of interdependency was negatively associated with role ambiguity. There was also support for the job demands-control model as greater job control reduced role ambiguity when clarity of interdependency was low. Although higher job control produced lower role ambiguity when both clarity and amount of interdependency were low, higher job control did not produce lower role ambiguity when clarity of interdependency was low and amount of interdependency was high, suggesting that the buffering value of job control on reducing role stress is contingent on the task interdependencies that managers confront.