Proximate

In PROXIMATE we studied the email exchange network at MIT before and after the university implemented a mandatory lockdown due to Covid-19.

We analyzed the communication habits of 2834 faculty and postdoctoral researchers across over 100 university units to understand how the formation of weak ties is facilitated by physical proximity. We estimate that university researchers lost more than 4800 weak ties due to remote work.

The most significant decline in weak ties is observed among people with offices located close to one another. This indicates that the likelihood of establishing a connection is a function of proximity.