ANZPA Conference  Brisbane 25 - 29 January 2006

www.anzpa.org/conf/conference.html

CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: Diana Jones

Social Network Analysis Unplugged

- a meeting of cultures at the oasis -

The desire to enhance social capital, create knowledge sharing cultures and communities of practice within organisations has fired widespread interest in understanding, using and developing informal networks within organisations. Leaders want ways of assisting people to make connections and stimulate organisation change. Increasingly, management thinking recognises organisations as complex, and accepts that linear solutions have failed to ignite vitality or create significant change. Leaders are looking for new solutions to the old problems of producing:

• Enjoyable productive workplaces
• Exceptional service and satisfied clients
• Increasing profitability

The display of previously invisible and little understood networks of relationships behind the organisation chart is now made easier by technology developed by social network analysts. We can see maps of these networks of relationships. Underpinning social network analysis are significant bodies of research in mathematics, physical and social sciences and sociometrists find much learning in SNA literature. Sociometrists have much to contribute to SNA by applying Morenian principles in the group enabling organisation spontaneity to be unleashed.

This paper and workshop:

• Provides an experience of social network mapping and exploration in the here and now
• Identifies the networks and groups amongst those present
• Presents approaches to social network exploration that enhance both the network and the experience of participants
• Establishes the nature of carefully chosen criteria as the bases for social network exploration and development
• Indicates when organisations benefit from SN exploration and when SN exploration should be avoided