The Hidden Power of Social Networks

Preface

PUT AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART in front of most employees, from line workers to executives, and they will tell you that the boxes and lines do not really capture the way work gets done in their organization. But most will be quick to acknowledge the critical influence that networks of informal relationships have on work and innovation of any importance. As a result of delayering, globalization, and the rise of knowledge-intensive work, social networks—such as those crossing functions in a core process or integrating mergers or alliances—have become a pervasive feature of organizations. These seemingly invisible webs have also become central to performance and execution of strategy. Research shows that appropriate connectivity in well-managed ...