The Topography of Intra-organizational Networks
The Topography of Intra-organizational Networks

Author(s): Anna Ujwary-Gil, Natalia Potoczek
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Economy
Published by: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze
Keywords: Topography; Network; Organizational network analysis; Public organization; Innovation
Summary/Abstract: Purpose: The paper aims to clarify the topography of several networks of a public organization. It proposes to analyze the intra-organizational environment through the prism of knowledge, resource, and task flows as the main sources of innovation. The study aims to expand the domain of knowledge, resources, and tasks used and performed by the employees giving us the idea what the possible structure of those networks can look like.Design/methodology/approach: The study involved a total of 82 employees of the public organization operating in the higher education sector (N = 82) out of 89 provided for testing, which is a total of 93% of respondents. According to the research network, the sample covered the entire population. We used an interview and a survey research composed of four questions. Also the Organizational Risk Analyzer (ORA LITE) software has been used. Findings: The paper provides empirical insights into the topography of the particular networks and the analysis of the potential risks that might accompany a given network or too many network gaps in an intra-organizational environment.Research/practical implications: The presentation of the topography of each network indicates the direction for management improvements related to the possibilities of underloading or overloading an individual employee with knowledge, resources, or tasks. It helps bridge the gaps in relationships based on inefficient flows of knowledge, resources, tasks, and it helps recognize some risks associated with too dense network that is not conducive to innovation.Originality/value: This paper satisfies an identified need to study how knowledge, resources and tasks, which are the main sources of innovation, may flow within an organization and what the network structure of the organizational and the two-mode network is.

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