ALLOMETRY (Principle of)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 91 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
- “As the growth of any particular structure proceeds, in the absence of change in the pattern of the structure itself, volumes will grow eight times as fast and surfaces will grow four times as fast as linear dimensions” (K. BOULDING, 1972, p.87)
As observed by L.von BERTALANFFY: “The simple relationship of allometric increase applies to many growth phenomena in biology (morphology, biochemistry, physiology, evolution)” (1962, p.12)
Commenting on this principle, K. BOULDING expresses that it also applies to social organizations, in a more subtle way: “… organizations eventually limit their own growth simply by the sheer difficulty in getting communication from the ”surface“ of the organization, where it is in contact with its environment, into the decisions-makers who are not in direct contact with the environment” (1972, Ibid)
In this case, it is mainly a problem of time lags. However, even if communication is accelerated through technical devices, strain and saturation may well occur, by overload, or chaos may seep in.