CONFERENCING AND CORPORATE HIERARCHIES
by Carolyn Clock-Allen


In my estimation this medium does not have any unique tendency to flatten
any corporate (or otherwise) hierarchy. Following are my reasons.

Fairly recently I read about something called the
"Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen" paradox in physics. This concerns a condition
where two particles, once connected, when separated-- even by half a world
or more--if something acts on one particle the OTHER particle experiences
the SAME action so quickly that the speed is described as the "speed of
thought." There is a phenomenon amongst human beings that I believe most
of you have experienced at one time or another. That is, where you meet
someone you've never seen, heard, or had any direct or indirect contact
with before, and the two of you seem to form a common bond; you
communicate more easily and effectively and you almost feel as if you
somehow "know" that person.

Let us suppose that in fact there are a finite number of entities in the
universe (or were) and all life is merely permutations of those finite
entities, infinitely combining and re-combining. And at any given time of
the "n" billion people on our planet (I just realized I don't know for
sure how many of us there are--aren't' there almost 2 billion Chinese
alone? Oh well, I'll stick with "n"); some subset--n(sub n)?--form, with
you, the scattered pieces of a one-time "whole." And when you chance upon
one of your own "missing pieces" this accounts for that feeling of a
common bond between people with no immediate history of any commonality.

Now, the trouble is, you (nor anyone) can't climb on a platform in the
middle of the "World Commons" and call for all those who, with you, form
the missing pieces of a former whole. It just doesn't work that way. These
encounters are invariably by chance. Naturally the more, different, people
you see or hear or meet directly in your lifetime, the greater the chances
of finding one or more of those "missing pieces."

If I may borrow a term [ %-) ] these "missing pieces" comprise a "natural
network" with established "lines" of communication. The problem is that
each piece of this network does not know of the existance, or the
whereabouts, of the other pieces. Unless, like I said, two or more pieces
meet, by chance. When they do, in fact, the resulting "groupings" can be
very powerful ones indeed. These missing pieces are a classic example of
something where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

What's important to understand is that ANYTHING--*ANYTHING*-- that changes
the normal contact points of ANY group of people obviously increases the
odds for a chance meeting and subsequent grouping of two or more "missing
pieces" of a natural network. Do you see what I mean?

Telephones did this when they were first coming into common use. If a
company had two small offices and combined them into one, the same effect
could follow. When plane travel made it easy for dispersed groups of
people (corporate offices or whatever) to get together, even infrequently,
this had the same effect. And yes, computer conferencing, especially being
NEW will have the same effect--or the same TENDENCY. It changes the
POTENTIAL communication possibilities and increases the tendency for
"missing pieces" to FIND each other, forming powerful groupings which CAN
in turn affect not so much the corporate structure (I'll come back to that
in a minute) but certainly internal focus and the positions of certain
individuals within that structure.

BUT this is NOT due to something inherent in the communication medium
itself.

However--people's PERCEPTIONS are another matter. By their very nature
people tend to resist change; they are also inclined to believe WHAT
THEY'RE TOLD.

Does anyone remember the recent bally-hoo over "math anxiety?" Actually
this was a result of a bally-hoo over "computer phobia." When I changed
the Market Opinion typing pool over to word processors I was really
grateful that none of these things had "come out" yet. Those women made
the switch easily, with no diminished productivity, and no stress or
anxiety. There wasn't TIME for any of that, and I'm convinced they didn't
get upset because A) *I* wasn't upset, and B) they didn't know they SHOULD
be.

I suppose there may be real people who really suffer from "math anxiety,"
but I'm more inclined to believe that the amount of "math anxiety" that
appeared after the media gave it so much attention was nothing more than
yet another example of a media generated mass psychosomatic social
disorder.

Even when SOMETHING affects a change in some groups normal communication
routines, which MAY result in some changes in the corporate structure,
this STILL is not even CLOSE to a "flattening" effect. Individuals may
find their position changed; focus in a company may change (one group
becomes a little more powerful); a new group could get tacked on
somewhere. But the hierarchy itself won't be "flattened."

With computer conferencing, like ANY medium, there will be some people who
show a natural ability. In SOME settings this actually could have a
negative effect on the person involved. Other people resent the change in
the first place; and when someone "lower" than themselves in the structure
shows real promise with this new medium that in itself can cause jealousy
and backlash.

I also believe that many older corporations have hierarchies that are
literally cast in stone and almost NOTHING affects their internal
processes--including the display of unusual talents, in this medium or any
other.

Plus, when I've seen computer conferencing implemented in larger companies
it is often done so on a "group" level; that is, all the sales reps will
be lumped together in a conference. This in particular makes some sense
because it's wise to try to link up those internal groups which are in
need of some group communication, but who, by dint of how they work, find
it almost impossible to get together regularly.

Corporations are merely "networks" of people in one sense and as such the
introduction of computer conferencing will wind up only enhancing the
already existing network.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that we, as an INDUSTRY, should work
very hard to focus attention AWAY from computer conferencing as a
potential threat to corporate hierarchies. It may indeed bring about some
changes, but it's not any more of a "threat" than any other change, or the
introduction of any other non-usual communication medium. Plus, even if it
does tend to change things it certainly doesn't "flatten" out the
hierarchy (in fact, it could strengthen it, depending on how it was used).

To continue to suggest otherwise is like cutting our own throats. Remember
what I said about media induced mass pschosomatic social disorders.

Also important is the fact that although I am amused by my "missing
pieces" theory it is totally irrelevant. The PROCESS works, AS DESCRIBED.
WHY it works that way (which my "theory" addresses) doesn't REALLY matter,
here and now.


----- Author's note: Carolyn Clock-Allen whose alter ego (or rather her
id) is Dr Plum, introduced herself on the International Commons this way:

"This Carolyn Clock Allen business is just a front. I was, and still am,
known as Dr. Neon Plum. Actually, I *am* Dr. Plum. Dr. Plum was the
founder of the Mad Dog 40/40 Memorial Bar and Tattoo Parlour, and is a
21st Century snake-oil salesperson and traveling savant (not idiot, thank
you)... "I've been doing THIS (pointing to the surrounding electronic
arena) for the past nine years..."

For those who may not know , the Mad Dog 40/40 Memorial Bar and
Tattoo Parlour is part of a world which exists beyond space and time on
Confer II. You get there from Michigan but that's like saying that OZ is
near Kansas.