# Response Times By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-09-13 Anybody who has worked in a professional organization has likely experienced the significant difference in response times that tend to exist when one is requesting information above or below one’s organizational strata. If one requests information from below, the response time tends to be quicker (i.e., minutes to hours). If one requests information from above, the response time tends to be slower (i.e., hours to days). There are likely a variety of reasons for this phenomenon. People above could be busier. The problems being elevated could be more complex. It might be interesting to examine email response times and see if one could build the organizational hierarchy with that information alone. Those at the top would theoretically take the longest to respond or not respond, whereas those at the bottom would have a nearly instantaneous response. One could then theorize praxis like sending the message to the lowest ranking person you can find if you want a response. Such a response time analysis might suggest that the common view that management exists to address concerns that cannot be resolved at lower levels is suspect. #### Related Items [[Email]] [[Management]] [[Speed]] [[Organization]] [[Analytics]]