Download The strength of weak ties

Organizational Design
April 26, 2004
IS 208B
Today’s topics
Social networks and network organizations:
what’s the difference?
1.
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Coordination issues – what makes people act
collectively?
Social and technical construction of authority
NetWar’s five levels of organizational design:
2.
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Decision making
Narrative level
Doctrinal level
Technical infrastructure
Social underpinnings
Social networks
Social networks = “sets of actors (nodes) and
ties (links) with a patterned structure.”
 Granovetter = information seeking behavior
based on strong/weak ties.
 online, on value of information, status, play.
 Online social network is the sum of the
relations, not sum of participants = loose ‘web of
affiliation’ > organization
 “structural holes” = bridges to another network =
key nodes
Network organizations
Structure = participants recognize they are
participating in a particular network, and are
committed to acting collectively as a network.
How is collective action created?
2. Some sort of coordination & authority structure
based upon lateral communication more than
hierarchical communication (or some
combination). What glue?
3. Note that technical & document architecture can
optimize different kinds of coordination and
authority.
1.
1. Decision making level.
How do network organizations make binding decisions that
coordinate individual action?
 Python - hierarchical decision making, but strong ethos of
learning to promote the able to more authority.
 Al Quaeda? Hierarchy or Net? What kind of network
design?
 Earth Liberation Front (ELF) constant open communication
and coordination among network of autonomous
actors/groups. No chain of command.
 Hybrid of nets and hierarchies -- why couldn’t FBI and CIA
communicate before 9/11?
Diffusion of innovation
SSRC sponsored this report as a diffusion of
innovation strategy -- to alert civil society action
groups to issues of organizational design implicit
in adopting technology:
 Civil society = between state, business & family;
voluntary and nonprofit (I.e., social movements)
 Equitable cultures (514) lead to collaborative >
binding coordination & authority.
 “mesh works” = nonhierarchical, self-organizing
collaboration [525]
 Global scale = real time coordination > Int’l
2. Narrative level
“Networks, like other forms of organization, are held
together by the narratives that people tell.” [493]
 Geertz -- ability of ritual events to express collective
emotion.
 Dramaturgy, how narrative gives focus to roles &
expectations. [Goffman, Brenda Laurel]
 SSRC -- note coordination of civil action across different
doctrinal interests (I.e. in WTO protests in Seattle) by
constructing common narrative.
How does software create narrative? look at games
(immersion) and conceptual models (metaphors)
and information theory (how does info give value?)
WHAT is the GLUE?
In social networks =
 Information value -- but tendency for virtual
communities to be topically narrow and not last long -unless information is scarce.
 Social capital built by reciprocity leading to
status/reputation.
In network organizations =
 Corporate supply chain networks = mutual
dependence (essentially reciprocal exchange networks,
but based upon moral obligation, collaborative learning,
shared culture as well as exchange)
 Political network organizations = shared values and
norms/culture = sense of trust and willingness to ACT
collaboratively. [Note Granovetter on SN & action]
3. Doctrinal Level
Importance of doctrine in absence of the
command & control function of hierarchy.
 Focus on consensus and collective decision
making.
 Swarming [495] = decentralized actors/groups =
“smart mobs” with real time communication.
 Critical
mass? http://www.critical-mass.org/
 Seattle, WTO demonstrations
“Publishing”
In SSRC report, note interest in production and
distribution of information > dependence upon
manipulating mass media to get message out
[556] http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml
Note concern mass media became one way media,
internet is many to many = stake in democratic
access to Internet publishing and “intelligence.”
[521]
Analyze using information theory – how info
constructs value.
4. Technical infrastructure
Netwars: Crime, terrorism, conflict require
dispersed means of transmission, reception,
storage & retrieval; P2P is a model.
SSRC: focus on real time mobilization of civic
action through everyday communication
technologies (email, web, cellphone)
http://www.tacticaltech.org/
5. Social underpinnings [49]
In the absence of leadership or command and
control structures = increased importance of the
trust and shared obligation of social networks to
coordinate netpolitics.
 Note interest in informal distributed communication
channels -- collective blogs, P2P.
 Note Granovetter: political action requires strong
tie reinforcement of informational organizing. Why
MoveOn and MeetUp combine global
communications with local meetings.
Online organizing: MeetUp &
MoveOn
MeetUp = “organizing local interest groups”
 note geographical location to encourage strong tie
formation.
 Democracy for America 165,000 signups, based on
Dean campaign = local political organizing
 Information centric?
MoveOn.org. Fundraising for TV advertisements;
coalition building across anti-Bush, anti-war,
environmentalism = like political party
 Action centric?
Wednesday, April 28
Review of social network & network
organizations: theory and practice
Hand out final exam