Customer Reviews

Social Networks and Organizations

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Many books have been written about social networks. But few review the research on social networks in organizations.This book by Kilduff and Tsai is one that reviews a vasy body of literature about social networks in organization. Further, readers are gently exposed to key network concepts. Students who would like to learn the mechanics of network analysis and its usage in theory testing can refer to the appendices. For established researchers seeking potential new research questions, this book provides a wealth of interesting research questions. Most books on social networks are techical, hard to grasp and do not establish the relevance of social networks to organizational research. This book is an exception.

I've just re-read "Social Networks and Organizations" by Professors Martin Kilduff and Wenpin Tsai. I like this book because it is an easy read, with enough detail to whet the appetite but not so much detail as to become a laborious slog. With 150 pages of succinct text it is possible to read and digest in a couple of sittings. The authors provide many examples throughout the book and point the reader to more advanced reading, but for the beginner Appendix 1 on "Getting Started on Data Analysis and Interpretation" is a must read.

As a doctoral candidate I appreciated the opening chapters which position network analysis in the research traditions, and provide some discussion on the underlying theories. Some readers might find these chapters boring, but I think there is something there for everyone. Take for example the discussion on theoretical foundations. The authors discuss graph theory without blinding the lay-person with incomprehensible mathematical formulas. They also talk about balance theory and other borrowings from psychology in simple terms. This is a constant throughout the book - the reader is gently exposed to key network concepts, debates in the literature, and possible new research directions.

The authors guide the reader through various units of analysis, ranging from the individual, to the team, and finally the organisation. Their interest in interpersonal networks within organisations is obvious. There is ample discussion on cognitive networks, knowledge transfer, and business unit networks. In each of these discussions key concepts such as dyads, triads and cliques are presented in layman's terms. All this serves to highlight the importance and centrality of networks in our daily life.

So all in all I think this book deserves a five-star rating, and should be on the shelf of any serious network analysis practitioner.

Regards, Graham