Allen curve: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Allen Curve |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Allen Curve''' |
'''Allen Curve''' was discovered by [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] Professor [[Thomas J. Allen]] in the late 1970s. It reveals the exponential drop of frequency of communication between engineers as the distance between them increases. |
||
== |
== Discovery == |
||
During late 1970s, |
During the late 1970s, Allen undertook a project to determine how the distance between engineers’ offices affects the frequency of technical communication between them. The result of that research, produced what is now known as the Allen Curve, revealed that there is a strong correlation between physical distance and the frequency of communication between work stations. The finding also revealed the critical distance of 50 meters for weekly technical communication. |
||
This finding was originally documented in |
This finding was originally documented in Allen’s book, ''Managing the Flow of Technology'' <ref name="Book1">{{cite book |
||
| last = Allen |
|||
| first = Thomas J. |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| url = http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=6100 |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| year = 1984 |
|||
| title = Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization |
|||
| publisher = MIT Press |
|||
| location = Cambridge, MA |
|||
| id = }}</ref>. |
|||
== Recent development == |
|||
With the fast advancement of internet and sharp drop of telecommunication cost, some wonder the observation of Allen Curve in today's corporate environment. In his recently co-authored book, Allen examined this question and the same still holds true. He says <ref name="Book2">{{cite book |
|||
| last = Allen |
|||
| first = Thomas J. |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = G. Henn |
|||
| editor = |
|||
| others = |
|||
| title = The Organization and Architecture of Innovation: Managing the Flow of Technology |
|||
| origdate = |
|||
| origyear = 2006 |
|||
| origmonth = |
|||
| url = http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdescription.cws_home/709115/description#description |
|||
| format = |
|||
| accessdate = |
|||
| accessyear = |
|||
| accessmonth = |
|||
| edition = |
|||
| date = |
|||
| year = |
|||
| month = |
|||
| publisher = Butterworth-Heinemann |
|||
| location = |
|||
| language = English |
|||
| id = |
|||
| pages = 152 |
|||
| chapter = |
|||
| chapterurl = |
|||
| quote = |
|||
}}</ref> |
|||
:"''For example, rather than finding that the probability of telephone communication increases with distances, as face-to-face probability decays, our data show a decay in the use of '''all''' communication media with distance (following a near field rise).''" [p. 58] |
|||
== Impact == |
|||
He further explains <ref name="Book2"/> |
|||
The principle has had a very strong influence in many commercial architecture designs, such as The Decker Engineering Building in New York, the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan, and BMWs Research Center in Munich, Germany. |
|||
:"''We do not keep separate sets of people, some of which we communicate in one medium and some by another. The more often we see someone face-to-face, the more likely it is that we will telephone the person or communicate in some other medium.''" [p. 58] |
|||
== Impact == |
|||
Allen Curve has been taught and cited in all management literature about innovation. |
|||
With the wide acknowledgment of importance of communication to innovation, Allen Curve has been taught and cited in all management literature about innovation. |
|||
<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-980JSpring-2007/CourseHome/index.htm |
|||
| title = Organizing for Innovative Product Development |
|||
| accessdate = 2008, 03, 25 | accessmonthday = | accessyear = |
|||
| author = | last = | first = |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| date = | year = | month = |
|||
| work = |
|||
| pages = | format = | language = | quote = |
|||
| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
|||
| archiveurl = | archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-990Fall2003/CourseHome/ |
|||
| title = Architecture and Communication in Organizations |
|||
| accessdate = 2008, 03, 25 | accessmonthday = | accessyear = |
|||
| author = | last = | first = |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| date = | year = | month = |
|||
| work = |
|||
| pages = | format = | language = | quote = |
|||
| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
|||
| archiveurl = | archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://www.irc.caltech.edu/courses/Technology_and_Innovation_Management.htm |
|||
| title = Management of Technology and Innovation |
|||
| accessdate = 2008, 03, 25 | accessmonthday = | accessyear = |
|||
| author = | last = | first = |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| date = | year = | month = |
|||
| work = |
|||
| pages = | format = | language = | quote = |
|||
| publisher = California Institute of Technology |
|||
| archiveurl = | archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://ai.arizona.edu/hchen/class_presentation/2005MIS580/Organizational%20Learning%20and%20Knowledge%20Generation.ppt |
|||
| title = Organizational Learning and Knowledge Generation |
|||
| accessdate = 2008, 03, 25 | accessmonthday = | accessyear = |
|||
| last = Chen |
|||
| first = Hsinchun |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| date = | year = | month = |
|||
| work = | publisher = University of Arizona |
|||
| pages = | format = | language = English | quote = |
|||
| archiveurl = | archivedate = |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite web |
|||
| url = http://radlab.cs.berkeley.edu/wiki/Physical_RAD_Lab#Communication_for_Inspiration_vs._Distance_and_Walls |
|||
| title = Communication for Inspiration vs. Distance and Walls |
|||
| accessdate = 2008, 03, 25 | accessmonthday = | accessyear = |
|||
| author = | last = | first = |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = |
|||
| date = | year = | month = |
|||
| work = | publisher = |
|||
| pages = | format = | language = | quote = |
|||
| archiveurl = | archivedate = |
|||
}}</ref> |
|||
In the business world, this principle has had a very strong influence in many areas, such as commercial architecture designs (The Decker Engineering Building in New York, the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan, and BMWs Research Center in Munich, Germany, Volkswagen assembly and delivery center in Dresden, Germany |
|||
<ref>{{cite book |
|||
|last=Henn |first=Gunter |
|||
|title= Transparent Factory Dresden: The Event of Assembling a Car |
|||
|publisher= Prestel |
|||
|url=http://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Factory-Dresden-Event-Assembling/dp/379132540X/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206486336&sr=1-8 |
|||
|year=2003 |
|||
|month=03 |
|||
|pages=64 |
|||
|format=Paperback |
|||
}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
), project management <ref name="Empirical_Study_GSD"> |
|||
{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://conway.isri.cmu.edu/~jdh/collaboratory/research_papers/ICSE_01_final(2).pdf |
|||
|title=An Empirical Study of Global Software Development |
|||
|accessdate=2008-03-25 |
|||
|last=Herbsleb |first=James |
|||
|coauthors=Mockus, Audris; Finholt, Thomas A.; Grinter, Rebecca E. |
|||
|date=2001 |
|||
|format=PDF |
|||
|publisher=International Conference on Software Engineering |
|||
|language=English}} |
|||
</ref> |
|||
<ref>{{cite book |
|||
| last=Cleland |first=David L. |
|||
| authorlink = |
|||
| coauthors = G. Henn |
|||
| editor = |
|||
| others = Roland Gareis |
|||
| title= Global Project Management Handbook: Planning, Organizing and Controlling International Projects, Second Edition |
|||
| origdate = |
|||
| origyear = 2006 |
|||
| origmonth = |
|||
| url=http://www.ntccpg.com/product.php?isbn=0071460454 |
|||
| format = |
|||
| accessdate = |
|||
| accessyear = |
|||
| accessmonth = |
|||
| edition = |
|||
| date = |
|||
| year = |
|||
| month = |
|||
| publisher = McGraw-Hill |
|||
| location = |
|||
| language = English |
|||
| id = |
|||
| pages = 575 |
|||
| chapter = |
|||
| chapterurl = |
|||
| quote = |
|||
}}</ref>. |
|||
== |
== References == |
||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
== External == |
|||
http://esd.mit.edu/Faculty_Pages/allen/allen.htm |
|||
Thomas J. Allen: [http://esd.mit.edu/Faculty_Pages/allen/allen.htm on MIT ESD] [http://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/detail.php?in_spseqno=267&co_list=F on MIT Sloan] |
|||
Revision as of 23:48, 25 March 2008
Allen Curve was discovered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Thomas J. Allen in the late 1970s. It reveals the exponential drop of frequency of communication between engineers as the distance between them increases.
Discovery
During the late 1970s, Allen undertook a project to determine how the distance between engineers’ offices affects the frequency of technical communication between them. The result of that research, produced what is now known as the Allen Curve, revealed that there is a strong correlation between physical distance and the frequency of communication between work stations. The finding also revealed the critical distance of 50 meters for weekly technical communication.
This finding was originally documented in Allen’s book, Managing the Flow of Technology [1].
Recent development
With the fast advancement of internet and sharp drop of telecommunication cost, some wonder the observation of Allen Curve in today's corporate environment. In his recently co-authored book, Allen examined this question and the same still holds true. He says [2]
- "For example, rather than finding that the probability of telephone communication increases with distances, as face-to-face probability decays, our data show a decay in the use of all communication media with distance (following a near field rise)." [p. 58]
He further explains [2]
- "We do not keep separate sets of people, some of which we communicate in one medium and some by another. The more often we see someone face-to-face, the more likely it is that we will telephone the person or communicate in some other medium." [p. 58]
Impact
With the wide acknowledgment of importance of communication to innovation, Allen Curve has been taught and cited in all management literature about innovation. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In the business world, this principle has had a very strong influence in many areas, such as commercial architecture designs (The Decker Engineering Building in New York, the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan, and BMWs Research Center in Munich, Germany, Volkswagen assembly and delivery center in Dresden, Germany [8] ), project management [9] [10].
References
- ^ Allen, Thomas J. (1984). Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Allen, Thomas J. The Organization and Architecture of Innovation: Managing the Flow of Technology. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 152.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=, and|origdate=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Organizing for Innovative Product Development". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2008, 03, 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=,|accessmonthday=,|coauthors=, and|accessyear=(help) - ^ "Architecture and Communication in Organizations". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2008, 03, 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=,|accessmonthday=,|coauthors=, and|accessyear=(help) - ^ "Management of Technology and Innovation". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2008, 03, 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=,|accessmonthday=,|coauthors=, and|accessyear=(help) - ^ Chen, Hsinchun. "Organizational Learning and Knowledge Generation". University of Arizona. Retrieved 2008, 03, 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|month=,|accessmonthday=,|coauthors=, and|accessyear=(help) - ^ "Communication for Inspiration vs. Distance and Walls". Retrieved 2008, 03, 25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|month=,|accessmonthday=, and|coauthors=(help) - ^ Henn, Gunter (2003). Transparent Factory Dresden: The Event of Assembling a Car (Paperback). Prestel. p. 64.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^
Herbsleb, James (2001). "An Empirical Study of Global Software Development" (PDF). International Conference on Software Engineering. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Cleland, David L. Global Project Management Handbook: Planning, Organizing and Controlling International Projects, Second Edition. Roland Gareis. McGraw-Hill. p. 575.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters:|accessyear=,|origmonth=,|accessmonth=,|month=,|chapterurl=, and|origdate=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)
External
Thomas J. Allen: on MIT ESD on MIT Sloan