Communicating in a Collaborating Group: A Longitudinal Network Analysis

Abstract

Responding to rapid economic and technological change, escalating interdependence and the intensified competition associated with globalization, organizations are entering into multiple collaborative relationships across sectors and nations. These collaborations are more complex than typical organizational structures. Incorporating the bona fide group perspective and utilizing a longitudinal approach to network analysis (SIENA), this research examines the emergent task communication and resource dependency networks of two interorganizational engineering collaborations. The results provide general support for the hypothesized collaborative dynamics that distinguish collaborations from more traditional organizational forms. We identify specific exogenous variables (i.e., properties of the individuals and groups external to the network) and endogenous variables (i.e., properties of the internal group) that influence the structural formation of collaboration networks.

Keywords:

• Interorganizational
• Collaboration
• Bona Fide Group
• Social Network Analysis

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (EEC-9402533).

Notes

1. One participant worked on documenting the project and so was not involved in one of the four scenarios.

2. Dichotomizing reduces the richness of the data, but it has several benefits. First, it greatly facilitates the interpretation of the network variables, especially density. Second, dichotomization “normalizes” the responses, thus reducing the possible negative impact of outliers on the results.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kasey L. Walker

Kasey L. Walker is at the Department of Communication, University of Arkansas

Cynthia Stohl

Cynthia Stohl is at the Department of Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara