The Organization and Architecture of Innovation

Book excerpt: Building on his pioneering work on the management of technology and innovation in his first book, Managing the Flow of Technology, Thomas J. Allen is joined by award-winning architect Gunter Henn in this book that explores the combined use of two management tools to make the innovation process most effective: organizational structure and physical space. Demonstrating how organizational structure and physical space each affect communication, the book illustrates how organizations can transform for innovation. Allen and Henn illustrate their points with discussions of well-known buildings around the world, including Audi's corporate headquarters, Steelcase's corporate design center, and the Corning Glass Becker building. An integrative case study illustrates how organizational structure and physical space were combined successfully to promote innovation for the BMW Group.