Social Network Analysis

2011 ◽  
pp. 150-164
Author(s):  
Peter Busch
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Cutting Edge

If one seeks to measure (knowledge) flows amongst individuals, then the means of doing so are limited. Observation is one technique but is hindered by certain constraints. The first constraint is that the researcher cannot always place him or herself in the organisation for political or managerial reasons, especially if management is concerned that the work being conducted is confidential or “cutting edge” in nature. Secondly, people are known to modify their behaviour if being observed. Finally even if permission were to be given to observe workers and staff supposedly did not modify their behaviour, the nature of ICT work is largely desk or meeting-bound such that observation is not likely to reveal what it might in say occupations that were more “physical” or active in character. To that end, Social Network Analysis becomes a serious contender in seeking to examine knowledge flows between staff based on the relationships they have with one another.

FinTech innovation and knowledge flows in Hong Kong’s financial sector: a social network analysis approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anson Au
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Foreign Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Position

Purpose This paper aims to examine how financial technology (FinTech) knowledge from foreign firms flows into and among elite commercial banks in Hong Kong’s financial sector to drive innovation. Design/methodology/approach Using social network analysis and regression analysis on a novel database of patents held by Hong Kong’s elite commercial banks, this paper examines the relationships between network position and FinTech knowledge flow. Findings This paper finds four untold patterns of innovation and inequality in Hong Kong’s financial sector: only three banks are responsible for all the FinTech knowledge entering Hong Kong; most foreign FinTech comes from the USA through Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, whereas most FinTech from China enters through Fubon Bank and Development Bank of Singapore; older banks and banks with more connections to firms inside Asia are more likely to import FinTech; the most beneficial sources of FinTech for a bank’s network position are firms from outside Asia. Originality/value Despite the well-documented volumes of cross-border and cross-continental movement of financial institutions in Hong Kong, there is little work on the knowledge flows that underwrite this mobility. This paper addresses this gap by using FinTech knowledge flows to map the distribution of innovation, network position and competitive advantage in Hong Kong’s financial sector.

Current Trends and Future Directions in Knowledge Management in Construction Research Using Social Network Analysis

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 599
Author(s):  
Sepani Senaratne ◽  
Muhandiramge Nimashi Navodana Rodrigo ◽  
Xiaohua Jin ◽  
Srinath Perera
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Improved Performance

The growing interest in Knowledge Management (KM) has led to increased attention to Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a tool to map the relationships in networks. SNA can be used to evaluate knowledge flows between project teams, contributing to collaborative working and improved performance. Similarly, it has the potential to be used for construction projects and organisations. This paper aims at identifying current trends and future research directions related to using SNA for KM in construction. A systematic review and thematic analysis were used to critically review the existing studies and identify potential research areas in construction specifically related to research approaches and explore the possibilities for extension of SNA in KM. The findings revealed that there are knowledge gaps in research approaches with case study-based research involving external stakeholders, collaborations, development of communication protocols, which are priority areas identified for future research. SNA in KM related to construction could be extended to develop models that capture both formal and informal relationships as well as the KM process in pre-construction, construction, and post-construction stages to improve the performance of projects. Similarly, SNA can be integrated with methodological concepts, such as Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), knowledge broker, and so forth, to improve KM processes in construction. This study identifies potential research areas that provide the basis for stakeholders and academia to resolve current issues in the use of SNA for KM in construction.

Use and Methods of Social Network Analysis in Knowledge Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 565-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Müller-Prothmann
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Knowledge Networks ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
Informal Communities ◽  
Analysis Of Knowledge

Whilst the primary importance of informal communities of practice and knowledge networks in innovation and knowledge management is widely accepted (see Armbrecht et al., 2001; Brown & Duguid, 1991; Collinson & Gregson, 2003; Jain & Triandis, 1990; Lesser, 2001; Liyanage, Greenfied & Don, 1999; Nahapiet & Ghoshal, 1998; Nohria & Eccles, 1992; Wenger, 1999; Zanfei, 2000), there is less agreement on the most appropriate method for their empirical study and theoretical analysis. In this article it is argued that social network analysis (SNA) is a highly effective tool for the analysis of knowledge networks, as well as for the identification and implementation of practical methods in knowledge management and innovation. Social network analysis is a sociological method to undertake empirical analysis of the structural patterns of social relationships in networks (see, e.g., Scott, 1991; Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Wellman & Berkowitz, 1988). This article aims at demonstrating how it can be used to identify, visualize, and analyze the informal personal networks that exist within and between organizations according to structure, content, and context of knowledge flows. It will explore the benefits of social network analysis as a strategic tool on the example of expert localization and knowledge transfer, and also point to the limits of the method.

scholarly journals Mapping the knowledge flow in sustainable construction project teams using social network analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Lilly Meta Schröpfer ◽  
Joe Tah ◽  
Esra Kurul
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine knowledge transfer (KT) practices in five construction projects delivering sustainable office buildings in Germany and the UK by using social network analysis (SNA). Design/methodology/approach Case studies were adopted as research strategy, with one construction project representing one case study. A combination of quantitative data, social network data and some qualitative data on perceptions of the sustainable construction process and its KT were collected through questionnaires. The data were analysed using a combination of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, content analysis and SNA. This resulted in a KT map of each sustainable construction project. Findings The findings resulted in a better understanding of how knowledge on sustainable construction is transferred and adopted. They show that large amounts of tacit knowledge were transferred through strong ties in sparse networks. Research limitations/implications The findings could offer a solution to secure a certain standard of sustainable building quality through improved KT. The findings indicate a need for further research and discussion on network density, tie strength and tacit KT. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on KT from a social network perspective. It provides a novel approach through combining concepts of network structure and relatedness in tie contents regarding specialised knowledge, i.e. sustainable construction knowledge. Thereby it provides a robust approach to mapping knowledge flows in office building projects that aim to achieve high levels of sustainability standards.

scholarly journals Social network analysis: A tool for evaluating and predicting future knowledge flows from an insurance organization

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 103-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona – Diana Leon ◽  
Raúl Rodríguez-Rodríguez ◽  
Pedro Gómez-Gasquet ◽  
Josefa Mula
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flows

Use and Methods of Social Network Analysis in Knowledge Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 1096-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Muller-Prothmann
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Knowledge Networks ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
Informal Communities ◽  
Analysis Of Knowledge

Whilst the primary importance of informal communities of practice and knowledge networks in innovation and knowledge management is widely accepted (see Armbrecht et al., 2001; Brown & Duguid, 1991; Collinson & Gregson, 2003; Jain & Triandis, 1990; Lesser, 2001; Liyanage, Greenfied & Don, 1999; Nahapiet & Ghoshal, 1998; Nohria & Eccles, 1992; Wenger, 1999; Zanfei, 2000), there is less agreement on the most appropriate method for their empirical study and theoretical analysis. In this article it is argued that social network analysis (SNA) is a highly effective tool for the analysis of knowledge networks, as well as for the identification and implementation of practical methods in knowledge management and innovation. Social network analysis is a sociological method to undertake empirical analysis of the structural patterns of social relationships in networks (see, e.g., Scott, 1991; Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Wellman & Berkowitz, 1988). This article aims at demonstrating how it can be used to identify, visualize, and analyze the informal personal networks that exist within and between organizations according to structure, content, and context of knowledge flows. It will explore the benefits of social network analysis as a strategic tool on the example of expert localization and knowledge transfer, and also point to the limits of the method.

scholarly journals Social network analysis and supply chain management

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Rodríguez Rodríguez ◽  
Ramona D. Leon
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Chain Management

<p>This paper deals with social network analysis and how it could be integrated within supply chain management from a decision-making point of view. Even though the benefits of using social analysis have are widely accepted at both academic and industry/services context, there is still a lack of solid frameworks that allow decision-makers to connect the usage and obtained results of social network analysis – mainly both information and knowledge flows and derived results- with supply chain management objectives and goals. This paper gives an overview of social network analysis, the main social network analysis metrics, supply chain performance and, finally, it identifies how future frameworks could close the gap and link the results of social network analysis with the supply chain management decision-making processes. </p>

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