Allen curve explained

In communication theory, the Allen curve is a graphical representation that reveals the exponential drop in frequency of communication between engineers as the distance between them increases. It was discovered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Thomas J. Allen in the late 1970s.

A related and highly significant finding of Allen's was his identification of the key role of information gatekeepers. Often such interlocutors were poorly recognized by management and yet conveyed vital concepts from just the right people to just the right other people in the organization.

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, revealing a strong negative 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 about the application of the Allen Curve in today's corporate environment. In 2007, Allen examined this question and the effects of frequency still holds true, citing a 1986 study of email[2] and his own 1989 study[3] of frequency of communication between "sites of a geographically dispersed computer manufacturer". He says[4]

"For example, rather than finding that the probability of telephone communication increases with distance, 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[4]

"We do not keep separate sets of people, some of whom we communicate with by one medium and some by another. The more often we see someone face-to-face, the more likely it is that we will also telephone that person or communicate by another medium." [p. 58]

Significance

With the wide acknowledgment of importance of communication to innovation, the Allen Curve is frequently taught and cited in management literature about innovation.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

In the business world, this principle has had a very strong influence in many areas, such as commercial architecture designs (See for example the Decker Engineering Building in New York, the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan, the BMW Research Center in Munich, and the Volkswagen assembly and delivery center in Dresden[10]), and project management.[11] [12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Allen , Thomas J. . Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization . 1984 . MIT Press . Cambridge, MA . 9780262510271 .
  2. Book: Biksen . TK . Eveland . JD . New office technology: Planning for people . 1986 . Pergamon Press . New York . 9780080295145.
  3. Allen . Thomas J . Hauptman . Oscar . The Influence of Communication Technologies on Organizational Structure: A Conceptual Model for Future Research . Communication Research . 1987 . 14 . 5 . 575–587 . 10.1177/009365087014005007. 62440161 .
  4. Book: Allen . Thomas J. . G. . Henn . [{{google books |id= J5-ls6fV_3YC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false |plainurl= yes }} The Organization and Architecture of Innovation: Managing the Flow of Technology ]. 2006 . 9780750682367 . Butterworth-Heinemann . 152.
  5. Web site: 15.980J / ESD.933J Organizing for Innovative Product Development Spring 2007 . live . Mar 25, 2008 . Massachusetts Institute of Technology . https://web.archive.org/web/20080402043048/http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-980JSpring-2007/CourseHome/index.htm . April 2, 2008 .
  6. Web site: Architecture and Communication in Organizations . Feb 11, 2016 . Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
  7. Web site: Management of Technology and Innovation . Mar 25, 2008 . California Institute of Technology . https://web.archive.org/web/20080418171319/http://www.irc.caltech.edu/courses/Technology_and_Innovation_Management.htm . April 18, 2008 . dead.
  8. Web site: Organizational Learning and Knowledge Generation . Feb 11, 2016 . Chen . Hsinchun . University of Arizona . ppt . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412045640/https://ai.arizona.edu/sites/ai/files/MIS580/7_organizational_learning_and_knowledge_generation.ppt . April 12, 2016 . dead .
  9. Web site: Communication for Inspiration vs. Distance and Walls . Mar 25, 2008 .
  10. Book: Henn, Gunter . Transparent Factory Dresden: The Event of Assembling a Car . Prestel . Mar 2003 . 64 . 379132540X .
  11. Web site: An Empirical Study of Global Software Development . Mar 25, 2008 . Herbsleb . James . Mockus . Audris . Finholt . Thomas A. . Rebecca Grinter . Grinter . Rebecca E. . 2001 . International Conference on Software Engineering . https://web.archive.org/web/20080820054220/http://conway.isri.cmu.edu/~jdh/collaboratory/research_papers/ICSE_01_final(2).pdf . 2008-08-20 . dead.
  12. Book: Cleland . David I. . David I. Cleland . G. . Henn . . Global Project Management Handbook: Planning, Organizing and Controlling International Projects, Second Edition . 2006 . McGraw-Hill . 575.

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