Can be physical proximity, but more importantly – cognitive / attitudinal proximity.
Operational proximity happens when
– people share the same physical space and
– share ownership of the same problem
you need both for operational proximity to occur.
Operational proximity introduces different points of view to a problem. This “differentiation” happens easily in organisations because they form themselves into informal social groups (cliques??)
Differentiation happens when different groups have “Cognitive Separation” (Lorch) – i.e. a different point of view on the problem.
See Tagliaventi and Mattarelli (2006) – Human Relations J.
A barrier to operational proximity is “cognitive separation”
Dr. Derek S. Thomson 
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