Coordination of Functional Areas within Transit Agencies through Networks of Managerial and Professional Interaction

摘要

The study examines the effects of environmental demands and technological contingencies on the coordination and control of interactions between individuals and units within a transit agency. The relationships between individuals as they accomplish their work is conceptualized as networks of interaction. Based on questionnaire data collected at two transit agencies (Orange County Transit District and San Diego Transit Corporation), it was found that the size and complexity of the agency had significant effects on networks of interaction. The size and complexity of the agency was found to affect the size and strength of an individual's work network; whether an individual was more likely to rely on the vertical chain of command, horizontal interaction with peers, or diagonal interaction with individuals of unequal status with the organization; and what roles units performed in terms of interaction with other units in the agency. Implications for the design and management of transit agencies are discussed.