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They also moved from their old headquarters to the Sears Tower in 1973/74. Uprooting the whole physical social dynamic of a company to move to a new headquarter

They also moved from their old headquarters to the Sears Tower in 1973/74. Uprooting the whole physical social dynamic of a company to move to a new headquarters often does not go well. Good luck Apple.

agumonkey 9y ago
You mean that the actual physical habits of people are factors to consider ? And if those aren't recreated, the work won't go as well ?
- njarboe 9y ago
  I read an article about it many years ago. Who you bump into and are physically near can create and maintain certain workflows and company culture. This was probably more important before personal computers and the internet. You are likely to have lunch with people you see and different business units can cross fertilize with greater ease. Moving from an organically grown bunch of buildings near each other, to a huge building with only elevator access to each floor, will change how people interact quite a bit.
  - wahern 9y ago
    https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/20-acts-in-60-minutes?act=14#play https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/... "Act 14" on this This American Life episode tells the story of what happened when the Vienna Sausage Company moved production to a new, purpose-built facility. If you'd rather read than listen, scroll down to "Act Fourteen" here, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/transcript https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/... It arguably exemplifies precisely what you're saying, except in a much more literal fashion.
WalterBright 9y ago
My father (economics professor) said you can date the start of a company's demise from when they build a palace for a headquarters. For one thing, the design of the palace becomes a huge distraction for top management. Once they move in, they start to believe they are the godlike businessman the palace suggests they are. Yeah, the Apple saucer is a big risk.
- kevinmchugh 9y ago
  Is there a name for the phenomenon of companies building themselves a headquarters right as they begin to fail? I've heard that idea before, but haven't been able to find either a name for it, or any data on it.
  - dredmorbius 9y ago
    I seem to recall hearing that myself. Steve Blank has "The Curse of the a Building": https://steveblank.com/2009/05/15/supermac-war-story-11-the-curse-of-a-new-building/ https://steveblank.com/2009/05/15/supermac-war-story-11-the-... There's the economy-wide skyscraper curse: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-03/16/content_7582027.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-03/16/content_758...
  - nostrademons 9y ago
    "Edifice complex" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edifice%20complex http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edifice%20com... The urbandictionary link refers specifically to college presidents & universities, but there've been a few articles about how it applies to corporations as well.
  - HarryHirsch 9y ago
    In the German Language you'd say "Buddenbrooks syndrome". The phenomenon is as old as the ages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddenbrooks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddenbrooks
- turk184 9y ago
  Amazon HQ2?
jedberg 9y ago
The thing Apple has going for it is that they already build a headquarters a long time ago, and also outgrew it a long time ago. Their employees are already used to working in buildings near but not in the headquarters, and being moved around in and out of the HQ campus. Also, the new HQ is only a mile from the old one and they're going to keep the old one too. So it's not the huge cultural shift of a new HQ -- it's more like just a new set of buildings. It's true, they spent a lot of money making a nice new HQ, but not even 1/2 the employees will move into it.

agumonkey 9y ago

You mean that the actual physical habits of people are factors to consider ? And if those aren't recreated, the work won't go as well ?

njarboe 9y ago
I read an article about it many years ago. Who you bump into and are physically near can create and maintain certain workflows and company culture. This was probably more important before personal computers and the internet. You are likely to have lunch with people you see and different business units can cross fertilize with greater ease. Moving from an organically grown bunch of buildings near each other, to a huge building with only elevator access to each floor, will change how people interact quite a bit.
- wahern 9y ago
  https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/20-acts-in-60-minutes?act=14#play https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/... "Act 14" on this This American Life episode tells the story of what happened when the Vienna Sausage Company moved production to a new, purpose-built facility. If you'd rather read than listen, scroll down to "Act Fourteen" here, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/transcript https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/241/... It arguably exemplifies precisely what you're saying, except in a much more literal fashion.

WalterBright 9y ago

My father (economics professor) said you can date the start of a company's demise from when they build a palace for a headquarters. For one thing, the design of the palace becomes a huge distraction for top management. Once they move in, they start to believe they are the godlike businessman the palace suggests they are. Yeah, the Apple saucer is a big risk.

kevinmchugh 9y ago
Is there a name for the phenomenon of companies building themselves a headquarters right as they begin to fail? I've heard that idea before, but haven't been able to find either a name for it, or any data on it.
- dredmorbius 9y ago
  I seem to recall hearing that myself. Steve Blank has "The Curse of the a Building": https://steveblank.com/2009/05/15/supermac-war-story-11-the-curse-of-a-new-building/ https://steveblank.com/2009/05/15/supermac-war-story-11-the-... There's the economy-wide skyscraper curse: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-03/16/content_7582027.htm http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-03/16/content_758...
- nostrademons 9y ago
  "Edifice complex" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edifice%20complex http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=edifice%20com... The urbandictionary link refers specifically to college presidents & universities, but there've been a few articles about how it applies to corporations as well.
- HarryHirsch 9y ago
  In the German Language you'd say "Buddenbrooks syndrome". The phenomenon is as old as the ages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddenbrooks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddenbrooks
turk184 9y ago
Amazon HQ2?

jedberg 9y ago

The thing Apple has going for it is that they already build a headquarters a long time ago, and also outgrew it a long time ago. Their employees are already used to working in buildings near but not in the headquarters, and being moved around in and out of the HQ campus. Also, the new HQ is only a mile from the old one and they're going to keep the old one too. So it's not the huge cultural shift of a new HQ -- it's more like just a new set of buildings. It's true, they spent a lot of money making a nice new HQ, but not even 1/2 the employees will move into it.