The real communication network behind the formal chart: Community structure in organizations

R. Guimerà, L. Danon, A. Díaz-Guilera*, F. Giralt, A. Arenas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The formal chart of an organization is intended to prescribe how employees interact. However, ties between individuals arise for personal, political, and cultural reasons. The characterization of the structure of such informal networks behind the formal chart is a key element for successful management. We surmise that the exchange of e-mails between individuals in organizations reveals how people interact and therefore provides a map of the real network structure behind the formal chart. We propose a methodology that allows extraction of relevant information about the community structure of an organization from the network of e-mail interactions between its employees.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)653-667
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Volume61
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2006

Keywords

  • Complex networks
  • Email network
  • Informal charts

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