A social network scorecard to monitor knowledge flows across communication media

Abstract

This paper describes the application of a scorecard, based on social network analysis, to monitor the evolution of knowledge flows. This scorecard helps organizations to identify new ways to optimize knowledge flows by combining communication media that match their working environments. Three case studies were conducted: one within an Italian Research Centre, and two within U.S.-based Research and Education Centres. The interactions of members of these business communities were observed by monitoring multiple communication media over time. This is a departure from the common practice of using only e-mail communications to describe social networks. The goal of this paper is to answer the following question: does e-mail alone represent an accurate approximation of the social network? The results suggest that a better approximation can be found by monitoring multiple media: e-mail, chat, telephone, social networking websites, and face-to-face interactions.

Keywords:

• social capital
• knowledge transfer
• networks
• knowledge stocks and flows

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Francesca Grippa

About the author

Francesca Grippa is an assistant professor at the e-Business Management Section of Scuola Superiore ISUFI-University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. Her current research interest is in applying Social Network Analysis to business and learning communities. Francesca holds a Ph.D. in e-Business Management, a M.A. in Business Innovation Leadership from the University of Salento and a B.S. from the University of Siena, Italy. In 2005 and 2006 she was Visiting Ph.D. Student at the MIT Sloan Center for Collective Intelligence. Francesca is also Instructor in several Master's programmes, such as: the Finmeccanica International Master's Program FHINK in ‘Business Engineering’ and Master MAINS, Scuola Sant’Anna di Pisa, on the topic ‘Knowledge Management and Social Network Analysis’.