Spatial‐Data Sharing: Applying Social‐Network Analysis to study individual and collective behaviour

Abstract

Spatial‐Data Sharing (SDS) is a crucial aspect of spatial‐data infrastructures. This paper introduces Social‐Network Analysis to research on SDS. By mapping out relationships among social actors using Social‐Network Analysis, the collective properties of SDS in organizations can be investigated. Previous theoretical approaches have focused exclusively on individual behaviour. This paper attempts to expand this focus and applies Social‐Network Analysis in a study of SDS in a project of the Egyptian Survey Authority. It concentrates on the emerging pattern of SDS between social actors in the organization and their perceptions and attitudes. Social‐Network Analysis results show that SDS in this organization corresponds strongly to the existing hierarchy in the organization. Individual beliefs and perceptions of SDS show patterns that correspond strongly to the network structure. Project leaders are central in the SDS network and optimistic about SDS. Workers lower in the organization feel they have less control and express more concern about constraints regarding SDS than workers higher up in the organization. The paper shows that Social‐Network Analysis can be a useful tool to study SDS and complements approaches to individual behaviour. Social‐Network Analysis could be expanded to study inter‐organizational SDS, could be implemented with digital technology, and could be refined to distinguish behaviour and networks according to different information types.

Keywords:

• Spatial‐data sharing
• Social‐network analysis
• Spatial‐data infrastructure
• Cultural theory
• Theory of planned behaviour

Acknowledgements

The work presented in this article is part of a PhD project of the first author. This project is funded by the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Research (Project No. 499961/610).