Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by njarboe on Monday September 25, 2017 @02:53PM (#15332964)

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by WalterBright on Monday September 25, 2017 @05:06PM (#15334155)

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by kevinmchugh on Monday September 25, 2017 @05:37PM (#15334391)

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by nostrademons on Monday September 25, 2017 @07:52PM (#15335124)

"Edifice complex"

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by dredmorbius on Monday September 25, 2017 @06:10PM (#15334618)

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-...

There's the economy-wide skyscraper curse:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-03/16/content_758...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by HarryHirsch on Monday September 25, 2017 @09:13PM (#15335429)

In the German Language you'd say "Buddenbrooks syndrome". The phenomenon is as old as the ages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddenbrooks

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by jedberg on Monday September 25, 2017 @07:48PM (#15335111)

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by agumonkey on Monday September 25, 2017 @03:26PM (#15333282)

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 ?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by njarboe on Monday September 25, 2017 @05:12PM (#15334203)

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.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Sears's History Predicts Almost Everything Amazon's Doing by wahern on Monday September 25, 2017 @08:57PM (#15335374)

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/...

It arguably exemplifies precisely what you're saying, except in a much more literal fashion.

[ Parent | on HN ]