Networks in the Knowledge Economy, edited by R. Cross, A. Parker, and L. Sasson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 349 pages. $39.95 (hardcover).
✍ Scribed by Julia Storberg-Walker
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2005
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 48 KB
- Volume
- 16
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1044-8004
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Networks in the Knowledge Economy is a collection of previously published articles on the development of social network analysis as an analytical tool and an intervention process for organizational performance improvement. The collection is for scholars and practitioners interested in understanding or managing the informal relationships that arise in organizations. It is not for experienced social network analysis professionals. Human resource development (HRD) professionals interested in new ways of looking at socialization, organizational learning, learning networks, collaboration, innovation diffusion, organizing for performance, knowledge sharing, and organizational culture will find this book very useful and even thought provoking. It offers conceptual understanding by illuminating how different informal network structures can shape performance outcomes, and it provides managers with data and guidelines that can help them shape the informal structures that can emerge when people work together. It is time for HRD scholars and practitioners to consider using social network analysis as a tool and method to understand, evaluate, or assess informal structures in organizations.
Social network analysis illuminates the informal networks of employees that knowledge-dependent organizations rely on, and helps managers support the work of these collaborations. "While such networks are not generally found on any formal organization charts, they frequently can be sources of both strategic and operational success for an organization" (p. 4).
This book describes the historical development and relevance of social network analysis in easy-to-understand terms. Most of the chapters of the book can be easily absorbed by people unfamiliar with social network analysis methods, history, and practices. Both HRD researchers and practitioners will find it very useful for the assessment of, research on, and practice of building informal social networks to contribute to organizational performance. The contributors to this edited volume are drawn from the disciplines of sociology and management, and manuscripts were initially published in a wide range of journals, including the American Journal of Sociology, Organization Dynamics, Harvard Business Review, the California Management Review, and New Yorker.
From this list, one can glean that the expected audience includes researchers, executives, and other reflective practitioners.