Building on his pioneering work on the management of technology and innovation in his first book; Managing the Flow of Technology; Thomas J. Allen of MIT has joined with award-winning German architect Gunter Henn of HENN Architekten to produce a book that explores the combined use of two management tools to make the innovation process most effective: organizational structure and physical space. They present research demonstrating how organizational structure and physical space each affect communication among peoplemdash;in this case; engineers; scientists; and others in technical organizationsmdash;and they illustrate how organizations can transform both to increase the transfer of technical knowledge and maximize the ldquo;communication for inspirationrdquo; that is central to the innovation process. Allen and Henn illustrate their points with discussions of well-known buildings around the world; including Audirsquo;s corporate headquarters; Steelcasersquo;s corporate design center; and the Corning Glass Becker building; as well as several of Gunter Hennrsquo;s own projects; including the Skoda automotive factory in the Czech Republic and the Faculty for Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. Allen and Henn then demonstrate the principles developed in their work by discussing in detail one example in which organizational structure and physical space were combined successfully to promote innovation with impressive results: HENN Architektenrsquo;s Project House for the BMW Group Research and Innovation Centre in Munich; cited by Business Week (April 24; 2006) in naming BMW one of the worldrsquo;s most innovative companies.Professor Thomas Allen is the originator of the Allen curve. In the late 1970s; Tom Allen undertook a project to determine how the distance between engineersrsquo; offices coincided with the level of regular technical communication between them. The results of that research; now known as the Allen Curve; revealed a distinct correlation between distance and frequency of communication (i.e. the more distance there is between people mdash; 50 meters or more to be exact mdash; the less they will communicate). This principle has been incorporated into forward-thinking commercial design ever since; in; for example; The Decker Engineering Building in New York; the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan; and BMWrsquo;s Research Center in Germany.
#334169 in eBooks 1994-05-01 1994-05-01File Name: B00820PH0I
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy MandyTimely!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I dont agree with most of Kushners politics but this is a wonderful drama about the despair of individuals in the face ...By CI used to have a rule when I argued with my political friends. It was simple enough: the first person to make a comparison to the Nazis generally or Hitler specifically lost the argument.I refer to it as a "rule". I had no clout to enforce it. But you get the idea. People are so quick to make those comparisons and they are almost always ridiculous.In "A Bright Room Called Day" Tony Kushner juxtaposes a group of friends living in Germany as the Weimar Republic falls with a Long Ilsander in the 80s who doesnt care for Ronald Reagan.Yet this title is far more subtle than Reagan = Hitler. I dont agree with most of Kushners politics but this is a wonderful drama about the despair of individuals in the face of an unstoppable zeitgeist. Theres magical realism. warm humor and a cameo by the Devil himself. Its an interesting read and I suspect it would make an engaging evening if youre lucky enough to live in a city where it receives one of its rare productions. And because its Kushner the theatricality is mesmerizing.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Bright and BrilliantBy Kate K.Many plays have focused on groups of people fighting their many losing battles. In Tony Kushners first well-known work. these people are the Communist Party in 1930s Germany; knowing full well that they live in turbulent times. they are fighting to stay standing. Agnes Eggling. unsure of even the philosophy to which she has ascribed. clings to her apartment. She pays her rent. and in return. she has this small "bright room called day." where she is temporarily safe."A Bright Room Called Day" displays all the characteristics of the more well-known "Angels in America." There is a great deal of political discussion. but also the painful and individual conflicts between characters. Lines are laced with wry irony. and characters often speak in poetic. beautiful language. I have not yet found another playwright whose characters are both so verbose and so real.Neither is todays world left out; scenes from Germany are peppered with refreshing but unsettling monologues from a modern woman. She is very angry and a little lost - just as caught up in the tides of her times as the other characters are in theirs. Although. in the original version of the play. she ranted against Ronald Reagan. this copy contains a revised set of monologues prepared for an early 1990s performance. Three different decades in one play; thats a broad scope. and it makes a brilliant read. My one regret is that I have never seen "A Bright Room Called Day" performed.
