***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.sfu.ca/~insna/ ***** I had some requests to share responses to my post on interfacing internal/externa; networks...aopogies for my tardiness. Original Request: This may be a naive request.....but I've read a fair amount in and around the concepts of Closed networks (Coleman) and what I'm calling "Open Networks" (Burt - structural holes, Granovetter - strength of weak ties). In my SNA work I can identify closed and open networks within the organisations that I study. I've also noted in the literature that depending on the function of the area either closed or open networks may be appropriate (e.g. closed for exploiting say a best practice and open for developing or finding a best practice). The real challenge, and potential source of greatest organizational advantage appears to be where open and closed networks need to interface e.g. R&D / strategy and operations, or in fact the topic of my research work..social challenges in engaging financial analysts and fund managers in a dialog around intellectual capital, etc.. the simple response may be the need for "boundary spanners"...maybe the interface could be defined as a "structural hole". What I'm looking for is any research work, case studies, empirical work around how best to interface open and closed networks within an organization, or marketplace. Responses: Linda Stearns and I have a study that may be relevant. It doesn't directly address open vs. closed, but it does deal with dense and sparse personal networks that bankers construct while putting together deals: Mizruchi, Mark S. and Linda Brewster Stearns. 2001. "Getting Deals Done: The Use of Social Networks in Bank Decision Making." American Sociological Review 66:647-671. Mark M. Mark S. Mizruchi Phone: (734) 764-7444 Professor of Sociology and FAX: (734) 763-6887 Business Administration Home Phone: (734) 973-7367 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2590 homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mizruchi/ You might want to look at our paper: Rowley, T., Behrens, D. & David Krackhardt (2000). Redundant Governance Mechanisms: An examination of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries.Strategic Management Journal 21 : 369-386 Dean Behrens Hi, Perhaps my book, Lazega, E. (2001), The Collegial Phenomenon, Oxford UP, a network study of a corporate law firm (examined as a knowledge intensive organization) could be of interest. Maybe also Lazega, E. and Mounier, L. (2003), "Interlocking Judges: On Joint External and Self-Governance of Markets", in Vincent Buskens, Werner Raub and Chris Snijders (eds), Research in the Sociology of Organizations. The latter is about knowledge sharing in commercial court (also examined as a knowledge intensive organization). Best regards, E.Lazega Recently, a paper appeared in the "ERIM Report Series Research in Management" (Marketing\2003) on issues related to those that you are describing. This paper (by Frans Stokman, Philip-Hans Franses and me) deals with the effects of brokering within the organization on performance. You can find the paper at www.erim.eur.nl and as attachment to this mail. David Dekker Department of Marketing and Strategy Nijmegen School of Management University of Nijmegen Laurence Lock Lee Principal Knowledge Management Consultant Computer Sciences Corporation Selwyn St., Port Waratah NSW 2304 Ph: +61 2 49401777; Fax +61 2 49401865 Mobile: 0407001628 E-mail: [log in to unmask] "Ask, Act, Acknowledge" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a PRIVATE message. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete without copying and kindly advise us by e-mail of the mistake in delivery. NOTE: Regardless of content, this e-mail shall not operate to bind CSC to any order or other contract unless pursuant to explicit written agreement or government initiative expressly permitting the use of e-mail for such purpose. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _____________________________________________________________________ SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social network researchers (http://www.sfu.ca/~insna/). To unsubscribe, send an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message.