DYNAMICS OF KNOWLEDGE-SEEKING INTERACTIONS IN ORGANIZATIONAL NETWORKS

摘要

Organizational communication structures (OCS) enable and constrain information flow and are, therefore, influential in the organization's efficiency and productivity. Companies have often reorganized their structure to improve efficiency. However, OCS is a function of the informal network as well as the formal hierarchical structure within the organization. Any analysis of OCS must include informal networks to be valid. Individual interactions are what define the OCS and aids knowledge transfer. Using Agent-based Modeling, we create OCS with agents that have the same knowledge-seeking goals but different knowledge environments. Agents develop an informal communication network through which they obtain knowledge elements to complete tasks. Their network expands through references provided by peers when the knowledge sought cannot be found within their group. We compare the networks to determine if the knowledge-seeking theory alone is sufficient to determine the OCS. Network differences indicate that theory alone is insufficient to explain the formation of informal OCS.