Standardization — What's in a name?

The activity of creating a "standard" often is called "standardization". A definition of the term "standardization" is derived by comparing existing definitions of standardization with the way the term is used in practice. The definition should be of help in gaining a better understanding of standardization, in serving as a basis for a theory of standardization, and in distinguishing under which circumstances and in which areas standardization might be an appropriate instrument.