Transcript Document

A Brief Introduction to Managing Social Networks at Work
Page 1
Page
2 Bearman et. al. 2004
Source:
Small Worlds and The Oracle of
Kevin Bacon
Craig, Brian, and Turtle, boozey
undergrads at Allbright College, in PA:
Is Kevin Bacon at the center of the
Hollywood universe (about 800,000
actors)?
400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
Series1
150000
Series2
100000
50000
Kevin Bacon at center of Hollywood?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
S2
S1
8
9
Bacon number: 2.946
Connery number: 2.731
bacon number
Steiger, Rod: 2.67
Lee, Christopher: 2.68
Sutherland, Donald: 2.70
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/oracle/
# of actors
0
1
1
1806
2
145024
3
395126
4
95497
5
7451
6
933
7
106
8
13
Small Worlds
In a highly clustered, ordered
network, a single random
connection will create a shortcut
that lowers L dramatically
What does the network (really) look like?
“Even the most psychologically shrewd
managers lack critical information about
how employees spend their day, and how
they feel about peers.
Managers simply cannot be everywhere at
once, nor can they read minds. So they’re
left to draw conclusions based on
superficial observations” (Krackhardt &
Hansen, 1993)
Page 6
Page 11
Example # 3
Relative positions of Supervisors and Non-supervisors in Emergent
Communication Network at a high-tech firm
Source: Ajay Mehra, LINKS Center
Formal Reporting Relations in an
Italian Company
Source: Dr. Patrizia Vecchi
Emergent Trust Relations in an
Italian Company
Source: Dr. Patrizia Vecchi
Why Informal Networks are
Important
• Much of the real work happens through the
informal chart.
• De-layered organizations: Back to the sandbox.
• Informal networks can help or hinder
• Formal and informal networks should work in
sync.
• Formal structure Routine problem solving
• Informal structure Unexpected problems
The Promise of the Network
Perspective
• Relationships information flow
innovation
• Reveals hidden structure: Emergent ties in
workplace
• See structure; identify dysfunctions;
leverage capital
• The task of leadership…
Social Capital in Work
Organizations
•
•
•
•
Silos and bridges
Tacit versus explicit knowledge
Private versus public information
Homogeneity within groups; the logic of
exploitation; the echo of reputation; and
the dangers of groupthink
Social Capital at Work
•
Social capital exists “where people have an advantage because of their
location in social structure”
– Private information; access to diverse skill sets and ways of thinking;
power (getting things done); professional growth
* Early career: Operational skills and what you can accomplish independently.
* Later career: Ability to develop effective relationships with key people.
Typical concerns:
- Insincere; manipulative; not “real” work
Questions:
- What factors influence the network you have?
- What is the network you need to have?
- How can you build that network?
FILL OUT NETWORK ATTITUDE SURVEY
(15 MINUTES)
Assess Your Intelligence System
•
Do you feel you tend to be “in the know”? Do you find out quickly about key
decisions, activities, events?
•
Are you relatively central or marginal within the informal communication
network in your work group?
•
Do you have personal contacts in a wide range of groups?
•
Do you actively share information with superiors, subordinates, peers?
•
Do you maintain ties with work related/professional contacts?
•
Do you know and talk regularly to peers within your workgroup?
•
Are you well connected to your formal workgroup leader?
Source: Ron Burt (2005, AJS)
Which Position is Best?
What Are The Determinants of
Power at Work
Determinants of Power at Work
Sources of positional power:
•Formal authority – position in hierarchy and prescribed responsibilities
•Relevance – relationship between task and organizational objectives
•Centrality – position in key networks
•Autonomy – amount of discretion in a position
•Visibility – degree to which performance can be seen by others
Sources of personal power:
•Expertise – relevant knowledge and skills
•Track record – relevant experience
•Attractiveness – attributes that others find appealing and identify with
•Effort – expenditure of time and energy
©Whetton and Cameron, Developing Management Skills: Gaining Power and Influence, New York, Harper Collins
Publishers 1993
Are Networks A Source of
Power?
The Leaders Collaborate
When the leaders collaborate,
each loses some power … because
of less constrained info. flow
Subordinates bridge…
and gain power… leaders
lose some power
Subordinates Forms Tie with
Leader of Other Group
Leader 10 gains power; leader 15 loses power
Subordinate 16 gains power; 11/12/13 gain
some power because their leader is now more
powerful
When Subordinates Seize
Power
People connect with 16 because of reputation
as a bridge/broker (the rich get richer). 16 now more powerful than her boss. 16 lets
tie to 14 lapse…
Power Struggle Ensues…
Boss 15 cuts tie to Boss 10… making 16
even more powerful!
Emergent Network
(grey ties formal; purple informal)
Who is more
powerful? 10 or
16? Why?
What if 16 builds Intra-Group
Ties Instead?
15 and 16
are
“structurally
equivalent”
But When Everyone is
Connected…
Everyone in Group
B is equally
powerful
The Power of Informal Brokers
When The Leaders Connect…
Greater dispersion of
power…
How Social Network Analysis
(SNA) Could Enhance Inter-unit
Integration at XXXX
LINKS Center for Social Network Analysis
Gatton College of Business and Economics
Slides Courtesy of Professor Borgatti
Who are the key players in a
network?
Note: each node in network is a
person; lines represent regular work-related
communication (but could represent other
relations, such as trust, advice, and so on)
Courtesy of Prof. Borgatti
Example # 1
Trust ties in a Global Consulting Firm
•
Major change initiative is planned. Which small set of employees
should we select for intensive indoctrination? in hopes they will diffuse
positive attitude/knowledge to others
DB
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
%
31
53
72
81
84
91
94
97
100
KP-Set
{KR}
{BM,BS}
{BM,BS,NP}
{BM,BS,DI,NP}
{BM,BS,DI,KR,NP}
{BM,BS,DI,HB,KR,TO}
{BM,BS,BS2,DI,HB,PS,TO}
{BM,BS,BS2,CD,DI,HB,PS, TO}
{BM,BS,BW,BS2,CD,DI,HB,PS,TO}
- Trust ties among
employees
GS
BW
KA
DI
PH
BM
MJ
HA
SR
LK
HS
PS
KR
80
WS
60
HB
WD
120
100
TO
WL
CR
BR
BS
GM
BS
CD
NP
SF
EE
40
20
JE
Network influenceability
y = 31.592Ln(x) + 33.174
R2 = 0.987
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
{BS,BM,NP}
BS
LR
© 2005 Steve Borgatti
Data from: Cross, R., Parker, A., & Borgatti, S.P. 2002. Making Invisible Work Visible: Using
Courtesy
of
Social Network Analysis to Support Strategic Collaboration. California Management
Review.
MG
Prof. Borgatti
Close-to Network at T1: Part-timers
versus Full-timers
Note: Separate worlds of part and full timers is very clear in the close-to network.
What kind of Network is ideal?
• What are you trying to do?
– Size
– Composition/Diversity/Range
– Structure
•
•
•
•
•
Challenges in seeing holes
Challenges in plugging holes
Reputation deficits
The vision advantage
Like over-the-horizon radar
Assessing Your Personal
Network
What kind of Network is ideal?
• What are you trying to do?
– Size
– Composition/Diversity/Range
– Structure
•
•
•
•
•
Challenges in seeing holes
Challenges in plugging holes
Reputation deficits
The vision advantage
Like over-the-horizon radar
Social Capital
• Structure
• Composition
Information benefits
of structural holes
Dawe’s network
Revere’s network
Source: Borgatti 2012
Kinds of Networks
• Operational
• Personal
• Strategic
What Influences Tie Formation?
•
•
•
•
•
Self-similarity: the homophily principle
Proximity
Shared activities?
Social identity
From Cialdini: Reciprocity/symmetry; and
from Heider, transitivity/cognitive
dissonance (friends of friends)
• Embedded ties persist longer
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
48
Allen & Henn, 2007
What Influences Formation and
Persistence of Ties
Effects of Physical Location on Network Structure
50
Mehra et al., 2010
Effects of Tenure on Network Structure
© Michael E.
51
Mehra et al., 2010
Building Networks in the
Workplace
Uzzi Exercise
Changing/Maintaining Networks
•
•
•
•
Homophily
Contact hypothesis
Propinquity
It’s a small world
• The power of role modelling
• Find reasons for interacting (common tasks,
shared purpose, personal passions)
• Make time: this is work
Networking Principles
• Expectations can be self-fulfilling: Manage
expectations/social identities
• Opportunity for interaction is crucial: Create
opportunities for interaction.
• Homophily: what makes you similar and
distinctive?
54
• It’s a small world: The power of a few
shortcuts on system efficiency.
Seeing/Evaluating Networks
• Evaluation worksheet at end of this slide
presentation
• Experience
• Structural Balance
• Emotional closeness
• Lack of information
• Bad versus good sources
• Self-report versus observation
The Network You Need
• Whose cooperation do I need?
• Whose compliance do I need?
• Whose opposition can thwart my work plans?
• Who needs my cooperation and compliance?
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
56
The Networking Landscape
Internal
External
Peers
Subordinates
Superiors
Your connection to:
Suppliers
Customers
Stake holders
- Government officials
- Judges; Lawyers; Police
- Content Experts
- Leaders at other labs
Teams
Departments/Divisions
Your groups’ connections to:
Suppliers
Customers
Stake holders
- Government officials
- Judges; Lawyers; Police
- Content Experts
- Leaders at other labs
InterPersonal
InterGroup
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
57
Practical Tips for Managing Your Personal Network
– Share information that benefits the other; do a favor.
• “I wouldn’t be caught dead joining any club that would have me as a member”
Marx, Groucho
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Engineer serendipity: e.g., breakfast meetings
Reactivate some dormant ties– just lunch?
Look for bridging roles and positions
Leverage others’ ties (“Soul of a new machine”): hitch your network to
theirs
Identify keyplayers in informal and formal structure and nurture those
roles/ties
Keep your “enemies” close: invite key “customers”/”suppliers” to
informal meeting/event
Cultivate contacts before you need them
Attend conferences: keep up your external ties
58
The Network Your Group Needs
• What information is critical to your group’s performance
(internally/externally)?
 Who are the groups/people your group needs connections to for this information?
• What are the main uncertainties, threats, and opportunities your
group faces (internally/externally)?
 Who are the groups/people your group needs connections to for this information?
• Where is your group in the (internal/external) flow of information?
 Who are the groups/people your group needs connections to for this information?
59
Practical Tips for Managing Your Group’s
Network
• Manage identity/manage similarity
– Birds of a feather…
• The power of numbers
• Perceptions of similarity can be shaped
•
•
•
•
Use physical location to anticipate and manage ties
Create joint-tasks
Empower people to pool social capital
Share leadership
60
Network Dysfunctions
• Imploded relationships: High internal/Low
external
• Irregular communication: Low internal/high
external
• Fragile structures: High internal/Limited
external
• Holes: Places where ties should exist but
don’t
What you can do now
• Start informal breakfast meetings– food is
crucial. Extend casual invitations to chat
about things
• Reactivate one or two of your previous
contacts. Extend an invitation or just stop
by to chat
• Share information with a subordinate:
creates a virtuous circle.
• Who are the information bridges internally
62
and externally?
Managing your Network Portfolio
Current Contact Invest
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
Hold
Divest
63
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership: Online Resource:
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.htm
Tracy Kidder’s “Soul of a new machine.”
Social Networks:
Download and install UCINET (version 6.29) from:
http://www.analytictech.com/downloaduc6.htm
Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”
Alber-Laszlo Barabasi’s “Linked: How everything is connected to everything else and
what it means”
Cross, R. & Parker, A. “The hidden power of social networks: Understanding how
work really gets done in organizations.”
More specialized books on social networks:
http://www.insna.org/INSNA/books_inf.html
Link to INSNA: http://www.sfu.ca/~insna/
Social Networks Analysis for Newbies
Appendix Material
What does the network (really) look like?
“Even the most psychologically shrewd
managers lack critical information about
how employees spend their day, and how
they feel about peers.
Managers simply cannot be everywhere at
once, nor can they read minds. So they’re
left to draw conclusions based on
superficial observations” (Krackhardt &
Hansen, 1993)
Page 66
Relationships at work
• Early career: Operational skills and what
you can accomplish independently.
• Later career: Ability to develop effective
relationships with key people.
• Networks are important for:
– Information gathering (private information;
access to diverse skill sets)
– getting things done (power);
– developing and growing personally and
professionally.
Assess Your Intelligence System
•
Do you feel you tend to be “in the know”? Do you find out quickly about key
decisions, activities, events?
•
Are you relatively central or marginal within the informal communication
network in your work group?
•
Do you have personal contacts in a wide range of groups?
•
Do you actively share information with superiors, subordinates, peers?
•
Do you maintain ties with work related/professional contacts?
•
Do you know and talk regularly to peers within your workgroup?
•
Are you well connected to your formal workgroup leader?
Popularity of Network Research
Page
70 Bearman et. al. 2004
Source:
The Power of Networks
• Private Information
• Access to diverse skill sets
• Power
Example of Consulting Work
Questions that a network study
would help address
– What is the current state of actual interpersonal
collaboration/coordination across members of different units?
– Who are the “key players” in the emergent network of
collaboration/coordination?
•
•
•
•
•
Who are the bridges between units?
Who are the central figures within a given unit?
Who are the marginal figures?
Who are the bottlenecks in the flow of information/collaboration?
How is the intended structure different from the emergent one, and what
can be done to “fix” the problem?
– How is the network changing over time?
Formal Reporting Relations in an
Italian Company
Source: Dr. Patrizia Vecchi
Emergent Trust Relations in an
Italian Company
Source: Dr. Patrizia Vecchi
What Matters More: Real Networks or
Perceived Networks?
Sorority DV = leadership
nominations
TABLE
Standardized Regression Coefficients from Analyses Predicting
Leadership Nominations N = 123a
Model
Independent Variable
1
2
3
Satisfaction with organization
0.20
0.14
0.35*
(.14)
(.14)
(.16)
Officer status
2.05** 1.97** 2.23**
(.21)
(.20)
(.22)
Network size
0.11**
-0.06
0.08
(.04)
(.07)
(.04)
Local density
Local bridging
Local reach
Perceived local density
Perceived local bridging
Perceived local reach
Pearson χ2
Log likelihood
Likelihood ratio χ2
0.81
(.48)
0.21
(.69)
0.07**
(.03)
4
.32*
(.16)
2.18**
(.22)
-0.09
(.07)
1.13*
(.48)
-0.27
(.77)
.08*
(.03)
-.32*
(.16)
0.21
(.11)
.34*
(.17)
-.36*
(.16)
.28**
(.17)
0.16
(.17)
232.04 211.81 181.56 158.69
-392.98 -385.44 -.359.77 -352.18
97.21** 103.42** 106.00** 115.31**
77
Basking-in-Reflected Glory
• What matters is that you be perceived as
having the right ties…
Source: Ron Burt (2005, AJS)
Determinants of Power at Work
Sources of positional power:
•Formal authority – position in hierarchy and prescribed responsibilities
•Relevance – relationship between task and organizational objectives
•Centrality – position in key networks
•Autonomy – amount of discretion in a position
•Visibility – degree to which performance can be seen by others
Sources of personal power:
•Expertise – relevant knowledge and skills
•Track record – relevant experience
•Attractiveness – attributes that others find appealing and identify with
•Effort – expenditure of time and energy
©Whetton and Cameron, Developing Management Skills: Gaining Power and Influence, New York, Harper Collins
Publishers 1993
Practical Tips for Managing Your Personal Network
– Share information that benefits the other; do a favor.
• “I wouldn’t be caught dead joining any club that would have me as a member”
Marx, Groucho
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Engineer serendipity: e.g., breakfast meetings
Reactivate some dormant ties– just lunch?
Look for bridging roles and positions
Leverage others’ ties (“Soul of a new machine”): hitch your network to
theirs
Identify keyplayers in informal and formal structure and nurture those
roles/ties
Keep your “enemies” close: invite key “customers”/”suppliers” to
informal meeting/event
Cultivate contacts before you need them
Attend conferences: keep up your external ties
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
81
Software
O'Hara (SVP)
Field Design
Calder (SVP)
Leers
(CEO)
Communication
s Technologies
Data Control
Systems
Lang (SVP)
Stern (SVP)
Harris
Muller
Huttle
Stewart
Benson
Jules
Atkins
Ruiz
Fleming
Baker
Kibler
Church
Daven
Martin
Thomas
Lee
Zanado
Bair
Wilson
Swinney
Carlson
Hoberman
Fiola
Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993
How the CEO Views the Trust Network
Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993
The Trust Network According to Calder
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
84
The Advice Network Reveals the
Experts
Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993
But When it Comes to Trust…
Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993
The Network You Need
• What information is critical to your performance
(internally/externally)?
 Who are the people you need connections to if you want this information?
• What are the main uncertainties, threats, and opportunities you face
(internally/externally)?
 Who are the people you need to be connected to?
• Where are you in the (internal/external) flow of information?
 Who are the people you need to be connected to?
© Michael E.
Wasserman, 2010
87
Uzzi and Dunlap:
Social Capital at Work
•
Social capital exists “where people have an advantage because of their
location in social structure”
– Private information; access to diverse skill sets and ways of thinking;
power (getting things done); professional growth
* Early career: Operational skills and what you can accomplish independently.
* Later career: Ability to develop effective relationships with key people.
Typical concerns:
- Insincere; manipulative; not “real” work
Questions:
- What factors influence the network you have?
- What is the network you need to have?
- How can you build that network?
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership: Online Resource:
http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.htm
Tracy Kidder’s “Soul of a new machine.”
Social Networks:
Download and install UCINET (version 6.29) from:
http://www.analytictech.com/downloaduc6.htm
Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”
Alber-Laszlo Barabasi’s “Linked: How everything is connected to everything else and
what it means”
Cross, R. & Parker, A. “The hidden power of social networks: Understanding how
work really gets done in organizations.”
More specialized books on social networks:
http://www.insna.org/INSNA/books_inf.html
Link to INSNA: http://www.sfu.ca/~insna/
Social Networks Analysis for Newbies
Thanks!
Questions?
91