Murphy, Peter (2007) "You are wasting my time": why limits on connectivity are essential for economies of creativity. University of Auckland Business Review, 9 (2). pp. 17-26.

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Abstract

This article explores ways in which the connectivity that enables the knowledge economy also constrains it. Knowledge economies prosper through inventing processes that save energy, time, and money. But the conception of the ideas that translate into these processes is time intensive. The paradox of invention is that you need to spend a lot of time in order to save even more time. Creative thinking is a solitary activity that requires focus over time and insulation from distraction. However, the continual distractions and demands of a highly connected world can mean that we are both victims and perpetrators of the theft of time. Research shows that the typical information worker today is interrupted on average every eleven minutes. In contemporary organizations requests for information and demands for reporting escalate remorselessly, leaving little time for inventiveness. In the rich world time has become by far the scarcest factor of production, due in part to improved connectivity. To engage in inventive thinking we need to be able to temporarily disconnect ourselves from the world. In fact, the key to success in the knowledge economy may be the art of simultaneous connection and disconnection.

Item ID:	22563
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1174-9946
Date Deposited:	18 Oct 2012 06:54
FoR Codes:	14 ECONOMICS > 1401 Economic Theory > 140199 Economic Theory not elsewhere classified @ 50% 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200204 Cultural Theory @ 50%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950299 Communication not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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