Organizational Network Analysis

Während die grundlegenden Verhaltensprinzipien des Informationsfeldes bereits eine Vielzahl von Phänomenen in komplexen Systemen erklären können, ist die systematische Untersuchung spezifischer Top-Down-Mechanismen besonders aufschlussreich. Diese beschreiben, wie höhere Organisationsebenen regulierend, strukturierend und modulierend auf niedrigere Ebenen einwirken.

Viele wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Untersuchungen betrachten Unternehmen als eine formal organisierte Struktur, welche sich aus Positionsinhabern zusammensetzt. Der Vorteil solcher Untersuchungen liegt in der starken Vereinfachung des Untersuchungsgegenstandes und der stringenten Ableitung organisatorischer Gestaltungsmaßnahmen. Allerdings vernachlässigen formale Betrachtungen, dass Unternehmen letztlich ein Handlungssystem aus natürlichen Personen darstellen. Natürliche Personen besitzen Ressourcen, stehen durch soziale Beziehungen zueinander in Kontakt und erwerben unabhängig von ihrer formal zugewiesenen Position Status bei anderen Akteuren. Die informale Struktur in Unternehmen, oft belächelt als nicht organisierbar und deswegen als für die Wirtschaftswissenschaften irrelevant, verknüpft die Ziele natürlicher Personen mit den Zielen des Unternehmens. Selbst wenn die hieraus abgeleiteten Gestaltungsempfehlungen nicht immer eindeutig sind oder den bisherigen Vorstellungen zur Organisation widersprechen, ist nicht von der Hand zu weisen, dass letztlich natürliche Personen den Erfolg oder Misserfolg von Unternehmen steuern. Handlungen und Interessen natürlicher Personen sind insbesondere im Kontext der Wissensgenerierung für Unternehmen überlebenswichtig. Neues Wissen als angestrebte Zielgröße vieler Unternehmen kann nicht formal angeordnet werden: Wenn ein Angestellter für ein Unternehmen neues Wissen produzieren soll, muss er den Einsatz seiner persönlichen Ressourcen, die für dieses Wissen notwenig sind, selbst kontrollieren können und zudem ein Interesse an der Produktion neuen Wissens haben. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht, ob und wie die Sozialstruktur, in die natürliche Personen im Unternehmenskontext eingebettet sind, die Generierung neuen Wissens beeinflusst. Als Sozialstruktur versteht diese Arbeit die persönlichen Ressourcen von Personen, die Beziehungen zwischen Personen und den positionsunabhängigen Status von Personen.

This chapter discusses about application of social capital and network approach to organizational learning research and practice. The shift of organizational learning perspective from a technical or system-structural perspective to a social or interpretative perspective highlights that organizational learning process is socially embedded and is based on social interaction/relationships. Social capital and network theories provides a conceptual framework to explain how organizational learning takes place as well as identifies social and network factors influencing organizational learning. Thus, the chapter provides implications for establishing a conceptual and methodological framework to describe and evaluate an organizational learning process by extensively reviewing the recent organizational learning research adopting social capital and network approach.

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The Knowledge Society Network (KSN) “takes advantage of new knowledge media to maximize and democratize society’s knowledge-creating capacity” (www.ikit.org/KSN). This article synthesizes the principles and designs of this network which were initiated over 15 years ago, and presents an exploratory study of interactions in the KSN over four years, elaborating different network structures and the potential of each for knowledge advancement. Four major sub-network structures for participant and idea interaction are described, as reflected in social network analysis of discourse in the KSN. Strengths and weaknesses of work within each sub-network were identified with suggestions for creating a more dynamic, sustained network for knowledge advancement.

In this following comment, we present some criticisms that were made before in the social networks field that might help develop the field of computational social science. For this, we illustrate our argument considering the usage of social networks in the Population-Scale Network Analysis (POPNET) project through the presentation of Frank Takes at the 7th International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2). The main argument is that more attention should be given to the theoretical assumptions to motivate, refine and explore more profound relevant research questions of interest to social scientists. We comment on using small-world research to identify how different research questions can be further explored.

Marriages and other intimate partnerships are facilitated or constrained by the social networks within which they are embedded. To date, methods used to assess the social networks of couples have been limited to global ratings of social network characteristics or network data collected from each partner separately. In the current article, the authors offer new tools for expanding on the existing literature by describing methods of collecting and analyzing duocentric social networks, that is, the combined social networks of couples. They provide an overview of the key considerations for measuring duocentric networks, such as how and why to combine separate network interviews with partners into one shared duocentric network, the number of network members to assess, and the implications of different network operationalizations. They illustrate these considerations with analyses of social network data collected from 57 low‐income married couples, presenting visualizations and quantitati...

In this article, social network analysis SNA is defined and historical development process is explained. A comprehensive literature search has been conducted for this purpose. SAA is a powerful method that centralizes individuals and their relations, in that the effect of the individual on the social network can be uncovered and the network of individual groups can be evaluated holistically. SNA shows the structural gaps and social capital in institutions, and focuses managers' attention on critical informal networks. Evaluating strategically important networks within an organization, make "invisible" groups visible in the interaction and allows them to work with key groups to facilitate effective collaboration.

Thriving at work is closely related to the way employees are embedded in their social contexts, such as the structure of their communication relations with coworkers. In previous research, communication relations have been found to negatively relate to thriving at work. However, social network theory suggests that communication relations are beneficial in obtaining resources in the workplace, which might increase thriving at work. To reconcile the seemingly conflicting mechanisms, we draw on social network theory to unpack the mechanisms underlying communication relations by considering the instrumental and expressive roles. Using a structural equation model, we investigate the indirect effects of communication networks on thriving at work via advice-seeking networks (instrumental) and friendship networks (expressive). Our findings indicate communication relations are negatively related to thriving at work via advice-seeking relations, but are positively related to thriving at work via friendship relations.

Background To help ensure that children and families get the right support and services at the right time, strong and stable relationships between various child service organizations are vital. Moreover, strong and stable relationships and a key network position for gatekeepers are important preconditions for interprofessional collaboration, the timely and appropriate referral of clients, and improved health outcomes. Gatekeepers are organizations that have specific legal authorizations regarding client referral. However, it is largely unclear how strong relations in child service networks are structured, whether the gatekeepers have strong and stable relationships, and what the critical relations in the overall structure are. The aim of this study is to explore these preconditions for integrated care by examining the internal structure and dynamics of strong relations. Methods A comparative case study approach and social network analysis of three inter-organizational networks consi...

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Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an established discipline for the study of groups of individuals with applications in several areas like economics, information science, organizational studies and psychology. In the last fifteen years the exponential growth of on-line Social Network Sites (SNSs) like Facebook, QQ and Twitter has provided a new challenging application context for SNA methods. However, with respect to traditional SNA application domains these systems are characterized by very large volumes of data, and this has recently led to the development of parallel network analysis algorithms and libraries. In this paper we provide an overview of the state of the art in the field of large scale social network analysis; in particular we focus on parallel algorithms and libraries for the computation of network centrality metrics.

はしがき 山本眞一 i 研究員集会の趣旨 iii 基調講演 　ユニバーサル化・多様化する大学と高等教育政策 徳永保 1 　高等教育のユニバーサル化と大学の多様化 天野郁夫 17 　第38回研究員集会の基調講演の概要とコメント 秦由美子 41 高等教育のユニバーサル化と大学の変容 　米国を通してみる大学の多様性 : カーネギー大学分類を手掛かりとして 福留東土 45 　大学の多様化, 機能別分化について 小林哲夫 59 　国立大学の機能と自大学認識 : ユニバーサル化・多様化のもとでの機能別分化をめぐって 島一則 65 　セッション2を司会して 大膳司 87 討論 　研究員集会の雑感 村澤昌崇 89 　セッション2 高等教育のユニバーサル化と大学の変容 : コメント 矢野眞和 93 研究員集会の概要 9

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is becoming an important tool for investigators, but all the necessary information is often available in a distributed environment. Currently there is no information system that helps managers and team leaders monitor the status of a social network. This chapter presents an overview of the basic concepts of social networks in data analysis including social network analysis metrics and performances. Different problems in social networks are discussed such as uncertainty, missing data and finding the shortest path in a social network. Community structure, detection and visualization in social network analysis is also illustrated. This chapter bridges the gap among the users by combining social network analysis methods and information visualization technology to help a user visually identify the occurrence of a possible relationship amongst the members in a social network. The chapter illustrates an online visualization method for a DBLP

Unlike the common belief that knowledge flows mainly along the formal organizational hierarchy, recent research has pointed out an informal social network among organizational members as a more potent source of organizational knowledge paths. Most of the previous studies examining the organizational knowledge flows, however, have been conducted in a single organization or industry setting, thus limiting the generalizability of their findings. Through the use of social network lens, this paper identifies organizational knowledge flow paths, examines knowledge flow network structures, and analyzes the knowledge flow patterns based on individual case studies from six organizations in different industries. Based on these findings, seven propositions are derived for future research. In addition, it suggests implications for KM practitioners and scholars interested in finding, nurturing, and utilizing knowledge flow networks embedded in organizations.

The roles of social network and informal leadership network are not only crucial to companies or government institutions, but also to the academic institutions. As the interaction within the organization becomes more complex and dynamic, there is a lack of knowledge of the overall picture of informal leadership network at the higher education institution. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of three types of social networks and informal leadership in Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Sutaatmadja (STIESA). They are the information network in an internal organization, cooperation network in technical problem solving of the organization, and a personal support network in the organization. The method used in this research was survey and Social Network Analysis (SNA). The respondents in this research were the whole leaders and staffs of STIESA. The findings of this study classified the three social networks and informal leadership and built network matric to be further explore...

Recent disasters and rapid changes in the environment have shown various open issues in organizational resilience, in particular the use of communications. We explore the use of Network Theory to study the robustness of communications in organizations regardless their structure and the communication mechanisms used. We focus on how a collapse in the communication mechanisms affects the communication structure in an organization. We use a case study based on an emergency management plan from a Nuclear Power Plant in Spain. We show that Network Theory along with the number of connected components in a network provides a cost-effective way to analyze the communication infrastructure and organizational relations. Network Theory also allows us to build awareness about the communication and information structure inside an organization, and to design a more robust communication network.

How sport organizations manage interorganizational relationships (IR) in response to industry uncertainty is a relevant question for sport managers. Yet, despite its importance, to date, little is known about how an uncertain industry influences the creation of products or how organizations might improve their market position through IR. This study uses the historical method and Oliver's six IR determinants to understand the interaction between the bowl system of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and IR on various performance metrics, status, and new product development. In sum, the findings point to patterns of successful IR among the various tiers of bowl games and their partners through (a) conference agreements, (b) television network agreements, and (c) corporate/title sponsors. Notably, many bowl games managed to flourish and some even improved their status; however, the findings also allude to episodes of failure and indicate sport organizations rich in resources may be slower to establish IR because of resource buffers. Finally, the authors show the bowl industry produced new products via strategic alliances when certain conditions are met regarding asymmetry, reciprocity, and efficiency. Furthermore, the authors contribute to the literature on IR in sport by discussing implications for sport managers.

The concept of "network" has become central to many discussions of public policy, management, and service delivery. However, use of the term is rarely backed with theoretical and empirical analysis of actual social networks. This course is designed to (1) explore the theoretical underpinnings of the concept; (2) introduce the basic methods needed to collect and analyze network data; (3) familiarize you with the process of initiating and completing a network analysis using real data from real cases; and (4) compare your network findings with results generated using other methods and techniques. ASSUMED PREREQUISITES: This course assumes that you are (1) familiar with microcomputers and spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel; (2) comfortable learning new software packages; (3) familiar with college-level algebra, basic statistical techniques, and probability theory; and (4) comfortable using quantitative analysis to analyze social, political, and policy questions. Being familiar with common sociological concepts and language is also helpful but not required. Similarly, being familiar with calculus, linear regression, and/or maximum likelihood techniques is helpful but not required. If you are a mathophobe I guarantee you that you can gain a lot from this class without too much trauma! ADMISSION TO THE CLASS: All students must be enrolled in a PhD or Masters program, with preference given to those in PhD programs. Undergraduate students will not be admitted. Students from the Department of Public Administration & Policy are given first priority for slots

The concept of network-centric warfare (NCW) is an evolving construct that has altered the military organizational landscapes. In the asymmetric information domains, there are few studies that actually relate the daily agitations of each of the command centers to the vulnerability of the entire C2 structure. In addition, there are no existing studies that use daily events and incidents to understand the vulnerabilities of each organizational structure. This paper reports on the use of network and organizational theories to derive vulnerabilities of organizational structures based on probabilistic events on each C2 center. Vulnerability is calculated as a function of information surprisal. The results of an empirical study comparing organizational structure designs in terms of vulnerabilities are presented.

Although there has been a significant increase in networked communication and a growing interest in virtual organizing, to date researchers have yet to establish consistent terminology and have paid little attention to how specific characteristics of the electronic network influence social dynamics such as knowledge contribution. To address this gap, we develop a theoretical model and a set of propositions that explain knowledge contribution in voluntary, computer-mediated, very large and open networks focused on knowledge exchange around a specific practice. We base our model on theories of social networks and collective action to explain how a social network of volunteers sustains productive exchanges between individuals, such as the exchange of knowledge. We utilize the concept of a network of practice to illustrate how the macrostructural properties of the communication media, network size, access to the network, and mode of participation affect network dynamics and knowledge contribution. We then develop a model and a set of propositions to suggest that knowledge contribution within an electronic network of practice is dependent upon 1) the * Robert Zmud was the accepting senior editor for this paper. Arun Rai and Manju Ahuja were reviewers for this paper.

The paper provides an understanding of social capital in organizations that are open membership multi-agent systems with an emphasis in our formulation on the dynamic network of social interaction that, in part, elucidate evolving structures and impromptu topologies of networks. This paper, therefore, models an open source project as an organizational network. It provides definitions of social capital for this organizational network and formulation of the mechanism to optimize the social capital for achieving its goal that is optimized productivity. A case study of an open source Apache-Hadoop project is considered and empirically evaluated. An analysis of how social capital can be created within this type of organizations and driven to a measurement for its value is provided. Finally, a verification on whether the social capital of the organizational network is proportional towards optimizing their productivity is considered.

Due to the complexity of an open multi-agent system, agents’ interactions are instantiated spontaneously, resulting in beneficent collaborations with one another for mutual actions that are beyond one’s current capabilities. Repeated patterns of interactions shape a feature of their organizational structure when those agents self-organize themselves for a long-term objective. This paper, therefore, aims to provide an understanding of social capital in organizations that are open membership multi-agent systems with an emphasis in our formulation on the dynamic network of social interactions that, in part, elucidate evolving structures and impromptu topologies of networks. We model an open source project as an organizational network and provide definitions and formulations to correlate the proposed mechanism of social capital with the achievement of an organizational charter, for example, optimized productivity. To empirically evaluate our model, we conducted a case study of an open s...

This paper deals with social network approach to understand an organizational management problem. Four groups of factors, i.e., workplace spirituality, affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment are used to quantify the level of organizational commitment. In total, there are forty measurements representing those factors. To analyze which factors that strongly influence the level of organizational commitment, social network approach is used where each measurement is considered as a member of social group and the relationship among them as social relationship. To illustrate the advantage of this approach, a case study on the level of organizational commitment in Malaysia will be presented and discussed.

Social sensing provides many opportunities for observing human behavior utilizing objective (sensor) measurements. This paper describes an approach for analyzing organizational social networks capturing face-to-face contacts between individuals. Furthermore, we outline perspectives and scenarios for an extended analysis in order to estimate happiness in the context of organizational social networks.

Social sensing provides many opportunities for observing human behavior utilizing objective (sensor) measurements. This paper describes an approach for analyzing organizational social networks capturing face-to-face contacts between individuals. Furthermore, we outline perspectives and scenarios for an extended analysis in order to estimate happiness in the context of organizational social networks.

Supply networks exist throughout society in manufacturing and knowledgeintensive industries as well as many service industries. Organizations have been noted to behave as complex adaptive systems or information supply networks with both formal and informal structures. Thoroughly understanding supply network structure and 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT UU 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 118 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON

: Supply networks exist throughout society in manufacturing and knowledge-intensive industries as well as many service industries. Organizations have been noted to behave as complex adaptive systems or information supply networks with both formal and informal structures. Thoroughly understanding supply network structure and behavior are critical to managing such organizations effectively, but their properties of complex adaptive systems make them more difficult to analyze and assess, forcing researchers to rely on unrealistic data or assumptions of behavior. This research proposes an information theoretic methodology to discover such complex network structures and dynamics while overcoming the difficulties historically associated with their study. Indeed, this was the first application of an information theoretic methodology as a tool to study complex adaptive supply networks. Moreover, managing these complex networks with formal and informal structures poses additional challenges b...

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship development process between consultants and a project management firm in Malaysia. Research approach: This qualitative study was based on 6 in-depth semi-structured interviews which were carried out with the owners and senior managers of five consultant firms (an architect, quantity surveyors and structural and civil consultants) and the director of a project management firm. The data were analysed using thematic analysis method. Findings and Originality: ...

Social networks depict complex systems as graph theoretic models. The study of the formation of such systems (or networks) and the subsequent analysis of the network structures are of great interest. In the business disciplines, the ability to model and simulate a system of individuals interacting to achieve a certain socioeconomic goal holds much promise for gathering beneficial insights. We use case-based decision theory to formulate a customizable model of information gathering in a social network. In this model, the agents in the network have limited awareness of the social network in which they operate and of the fixed, underlying payoff structure. Agents collect payoff information from neighbors within the prevailing social network, and they base their networking decisions on this information. Along with the introduction of the decision theoretic model, we developed software to simulate the formation of such networks in a customizable context to examine how the network structure can be influenced by the parameters that define social relationships. We present computational experiments that illustrate the growth and stability of the simulated social networks ensuing from the proposed model. The model and simulation capability allows for the customizable generation of social networks to be used as aids to study various socioeconomic phenomena.

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We introduce the construct of network inertia, referring to a persistent organizational resistance to changing interorganizational network ties or difficulties that an organization faces when it attempts to dissolve old relationships and form new network ties. Previous research has neglected the process of network change in favor of an emphasis on identifying beneficial content effects of networks. We emphasize the constraints on network change and propose a multilevel conceptual model relating key sources of network inertia to changes in network ties. We also discuss the implications of network inertia for the evolution of networks.

The paper provides an understanding of social capital in organizations that are open membership multi-agent systems with an emphasis in our formulation on the dynamic network of social interaction that, in part, elucidate evolving structures and impromptu topologies of networks. This paper, therefore, models an open source project as an organizational network. It provides definitions of social capital for this organizational network and formulation of the mechanism to optimize the social capital for achieving its goal that is optimized productivity. A case study of an open source Apache-Hadoop project is considered and empirically evaluated. An analysis of how social capital can be created within this type of organizations and driven to a measurement for its value is provided. Finally, a verification on whether the social capital of the organizational network is proportional towards optimizing their productivity is considered.

Action, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass. Oliver, A. (1993). New Biotechnology Firms-A Multilevel Analysis of Interorganizational Relations in an Emerging Industry: Bringing Process Into Structure. Unpublished dissertation, UCLA. Oliver, C. (1990). Determinants of interorganizational relationship: integmtion and future direction.

In this paper we study the relationship between the resources of social networks by exploring the Web as big data based on a simple search engine. We have used set theory by utilizing the occurrence and co-occurrence for defining the singleton or doubleton spaces of event in a search engine model, and then provided them as representation of social actors and their relationship in clusters. Thus, there are behaviors of social actors and their relation based on Web.

Four commonly-used graph statistics, indices measured at the network level, are studied via Monte Carlo simulation. By implementing a simple transformation on these indices, we show that they are well approximated by the normal distribution. Consequently these approximations allow a researcher to use fundamental significance testing to answer a variety of substantive hypotheses. Using these standard Monte Carlo simulation methods, we obtain estimates of the distributions of these network statistics for networks with between 10 and 100 actors. We show how these estimates can be expressed in terms of a polynomial of degree two and include an appendix of 95% confidence interval lower and upper bounds for the four statistics for networks of size 10 to 25. An example is provided as applied to a terrorism network.

Purpose-This study aims at analyzing the features of knowledge flow and the role-specific nodes in knowledge networks among individuals and business units of six organizations in different industries, and suggesting prescriptions to prevent the organizational knowledge sclerosis. Design/methodology/approach-This research conducts multiple case studies on the organizational knowledge paths of six companies in the multiple industries through social network analysis (SNA) tool developed by the authors of this paper. Findings-This study provides four major findings which shed a new light on how to comprehend the features of knowledge flow and the role-specific nodes in knowledge networks in organizations: the within-business unit knowledge flows are more dominant over the inter-business units knowledge flow; the downward knowledge flows are dominant over the horizontal and upward knowledge flows in the management levels; distributions of knowledge owners and providers are like L-shape and the gap between knowledge owing and providing expands as the management levels go up; and the top 20 percent people in an organization dominate over a large portion of the knowledge brokerage activities. Research limitations/implications-Cultural difference issue might arise because data collection was limited to Korean organizations. Therefore, the findings from this study needs to be cautiously interpreted considering the cultural difference/deeper understanding of the organizational knowledge paths through social network lens can make it possible for more context-specific KM strategies (e.g. suitable for a specific functional unit, management level, or industry type) to be identified and implemented. Practical implications-Managers can have a solid grasp about knowledge flows and knowledge node roles in their organization through social network analysis in order to facilitate the knowledge transfer and eliminate the knowledge link lapse in organizations. Originality/value-This study could be a stepping stone for further empirical research since it expanded the level of organizational knowledge network analysis from individual and team to inter-unit and inter-management level through the block modeling analysis of knowledge network.

This study examines in which cases organizations tend to form social capital, and explores how such attitude affects their recruitment strategies. This countrywide research project covering 158 firms located in 18 different cities was conducted to understand and to identify the variables which increase organizations' tendency to form social capital. A mixed methodological approach was adopted to reveal relationships between variables. The results show that dependency to state and suppliers, environmental uncertainty, rate of tenured staff in organizations, ownership status, conduct of HR activities by other departments or units and educational level of HR staff increase organizations' tendency to form social capital. Besides, it was found that organizational age, outsourcing of HR activities and centralized HR departments are negatively associated with social capital.

Software development is a predominantly social activity. It is important to view software development groups, departments, and corporations as social bodies. We study software organizations using a novel data-gathering approach that combines several techniques commonly used in social network analysis. Our techniques differ from those of ordinary social anthropology in that we help the organization introspect about itself; the technique is a "mirror" for the subject organization. We catalogued social network diagrams using a variety of visualization techniques. We have found visual patterns that correlate well to subjective measures of a good organization. We built analytical models to capture properties of the social networks, employing techniques similar to those used in established social network science. The emerging design technique based on architectural patterns provides a good vehicle for communicating organizational patterns. We have captured practices from outstanding organizations in a group of patterns that form a "'pattern language" t-or productive software development.

Network concept is in the area of interest of scientists for many years and is increasingly gaining popularity as a study field. Especially in recent years a very large group of researchers varying from mathematicians to sociologists and computer scientists are trying to examine different aspects, features and types of networks. On the other hand, it is seen that numerous studies have been done about social networks from different disciplines. Social network analysis is a method that emphasizes the links between social assets and the meanings of these links and that investigates the structure of social networks with the concepts of graph theory. In this study, how basic concepts of graph theory have found significant provisions in social networks will be emphasized, how they reflected to social network analysis will be examined and also detailed examples will be given from relevant literature.

Governance models influence the approach that public service organizations take when implementing programs, policies, and practices. The networked model of governance supports the involvement of multiple actors who span organizational boundaries and roles to implement solutions to address complex social problems. This paper presents the utility of network analysis for the study of policy implementation from a network perspective. The paper describes networks within the context of social work policy implementation, basic network components, common structural variables, and sources of data for the study of policy implementation. A study of a statewide policy implementation is partially presented as an illustration of the use of network analysis in social policy research. The illustration uses primary and secondary data with network analysis techniques to identify and describe the patterns of interactions that comprise the structure of the implementation network. The illustration will ...

In recent years, several organizations have implemented interventions aimed at integrating work processes and bridging network clusters. These are often permeated by different assumptions regarding clusters in organizational settings. There are concerns about the formation of silos and structural barriers to communication across the formal and informal network structures. Conversely, network clusters are regarded as spaces of local social reinforcement from which innovation ideas may emerge. Although terminologically and functionally different, they share some common features insofar as organizational behavior is concerned and the production of artifacts that fulfill organizational goals. The present scoping review presents an analysis of the literature on organizational silos while investigating attempts to bridge network clusters. Based on the search results, 40 studies were included in the analysis of the findings; of these, 20 were empirical studies and were included in a further quantitative analysis of methods and findings. We identified patterns of definitions of silos and variation in terms of aims, variables, and methods used to evaluate interventions among the heterogeneous studies. Special attention was dedicated to the role of consequences of siloed organizational behavior. We conclude that silos comprise barriers to achieving organizational goals insofar as they pose a threat to internal cooperation.

Die Netzwerkgesellschaft Die soziale Netzwerkforschung im Sinne des Messens und bildhaften Darstellens sozialer Beziehungen, geht auf den Sozialpsychologen Jakob Moreno (1934) zurück. Er wollte damit zunächst informelle Sympathie-und Antipathie-Beziehungen in Schulklassen analysieren. Seit dieser Zeit haben sich die Gegenstandsbereiche der Netzwerkanalyse ausgeweitet. Manuel Castells (2000) erkannte vor einigen Jahren sogar das Heraufziehen einer globalen Netzwerkgesellschaft, in der Aktienmärkte, Dienstleistungszentren, aber auch Drogenkartelle im Netzwerk globaler Finanzströme interagieren, und wo Entscheidungsprozesse gewählter Gremien wesentlich innerhalb informeller Netzwerke ausgehandelt werden, die mit Netzwerkforschungsmethoden zu untersuchen wären. Visualisierung in der Netzwerkforschung In der Geschichte der sozialen Netzwerkforschung war das Instrument der Visualisierung die längste Zeit auf die bildliche Darstellung der quantitativen Ergebnisse von zuvor über Netzwerkfragebögen oder andere Quellen erhobene Netzwerkdaten beschränkt. Seit den 1970er Jahren experimentierte dann eine zunehmende Zahl qualitativ orientierter Netzwerkforschenden mit der Idee, Netzwerke gemeinsam mit Probanden zu visualisieren. Diese bringen ihre Beziehungen entweder in Form einer freien Zeichnung zu Papier (Netzwerkbilder), oder sie bekommen eine Netzwerkkarte mit unterschiedlichen Zonen vorgelegt, innerhalb derer die Kontaktpartner z.B. nach Kontaktart, wahrgenommener Nähe oder Zugänglichkeit eingetragen werden. Die dabei entstehenden "Landkarten sozialer Beziehungen" werden dann gemeinsam interpretiert, um so neben der Netzwerkstruktur (den Kontaktgelegenheiten) auch die "Geschichten hinter den Netzwerkakteuren" sowie die Qualität ihrer Beziehungen einzufangen. Der Nachteil dieser Art der "kommunikativen Validierung", die fehlende Unabhängigkeit der Ergebnisse vom untersuchten Objekt, wird dabei von den Vorteilen mehr als