The creation of standards: The work of an international standardization organization

Abstract

This paper gives an account of the organization and work procedures of the open mobile alliance (OMA), a standardization consortium. Consortia are often established as a reaction to perceived inefficiency in the work procedure and organizations of formal standardization organizations in a field. The paper shows that in spite of this, OMA has adopted the work procedures and organizational setup of their counterparts. OMA works on a consensus basis even if the formal rule of the organization is majority voting. The paper argues that this is due to the legacy of the organization and its members, and that the overall structure and spirit of the telecommunication field have a decisive impact on how new organizations work. The paper also argues that the whish for legitimacy steers the organisation towards its current structure, and alternative organizational forms that are less open and inclusive could create IPR licensing problems, and reduce the perceived legitimacy of the OMA standards.