Social network fragmentation in a team based organisation

Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, FI-00076 Aalto www.aalto. f i Author Matias Saarinen Title Social network fragmentation in a team based organisation School School of Science Master’s programme Information Networks Major Information Networks Code SCI3047 Supervisor professor Eila Järvenpää Advisor M.Sc Juhani Snellman Level Master’s thesis Date 26 Feb 2018 Pages 79+11 Language English Abstract There is an enormous body of knowledge about social networks in organisations and about how the structure of those networks affect individual, team and organisation performance. Research has shown that network structure has its role for instance in collaboration, sharing of new ideas and getting advice. Especially important aspects are considered to be for instance weak ties and integration inside teams compared to connectivity over the whole network. The general consensus in social network research encourages towards ensuring integration over large networks while still maintaining density of local communities. These aspects have been measured in multitude of organisations from companies to neighbourhood communities. However, most of the efforts have gathered around companies with traditional organisational structures, e.g., subunits and hierarchies. The purpose of this study is to shed light to the social network of a company with more unusual, team based, way of organising itself: the organisation has no hierarchy and its work is done mostly in highly isolated and independent teams. A negative aspect in lack of integration over whole network is fragmentation. In this study it is shown to be present in the studied organisation and generating it potential hindrances. However, the organisation is also shown to have some integration over the whole network keeping communities together. Furthermore, the organisation is likely to benefit from its internally highly integrated teams. The results also indicate that social network analysis is a tool that can be successfully used to analyse team based organisations. Finally, work time reporting data used in the study is shown to be a practical data source for analysing social networks.There is an enormous body of knowledge about social networks in organisations and about how the structure of those networks affect individual, team and organisation performance. Research has shown that network structure has its role for instance in collaboration, sharing of new ideas and getting advice. Especially important aspects are considered to be for instance weak ties and integration inside teams compared to connectivity over the whole network. The general consensus in social network research encourages towards ensuring integration over large networks while still maintaining density of local communities. These aspects have been measured in multitude of organisations from companies to neighbourhood communities. However, most of the efforts have gathered around companies with traditional organisational structures, e.g., subunits and hierarchies. The purpose of this study is to shed light to the social network of a company with more unusual, team based, way of organising itself: the organisation has no hierarchy and its work is done mostly in highly isolated and independent teams. A negative aspect in lack of integration over whole network is fragmentation. In this study it is shown to be present in the studied organisation and generating it potential hindrances. However, the organisation is also shown to have some integration over the whole network keeping communities together. Furthermore, the organisation is likely to benefit from its internally highly integrated teams. The results also indicate that social network analysis is a tool that can be successfully used to analyse team based organisations. Finally, work time reporting data used in the study is shown to be a practical data source for analysing social networks.