Effects of Social Networks and ICT Usage on Performance in Knowledge Intensive Work.

Main Researchers: 
Kenneth Chung
Research Areas: 
Communities-of-Practice and Social Networks

Social Network Analysis is the study of patterns of information and communication flow between actors (individuals, groups or organisations) in a social network. SNA is an emerging area of research that is gounded well in theory and methods.Current literature has focused much on either network structure or on ties in a social network. For example, studies have primarily focussed on how groups structures can affect performance in a work setting. There is also abundant literature on social networks and ICT mediums that suggest such mediums can create, sustain and/or disrupt social networks. My current PhD work involves the development of a model that amalgamates the concepts of ICT usage, Social Networks and performance to suggest implications for actors involved in knowledge-intensive work. I propose that by understanding the patterns of communication of the actors, it would be possible to gain a rich insight about how the actors seek advice (for example) in a their social setting. Studying the structure of the actors and their contacts might lead us to discover forms of networks that are useful for seeking advice. For example, what might merge could be some sort of awareness framework for giving advice, or an indication that actors who frequently use ICT and who have a dense social network tend to perform better.