Presenter(s): Alexander Pulaski
Faculty Mentor(s): Ralph Heidl
Oral Session 3 C
In the business world, the mutual understanding and sharing of knowledge is a critical factor of success. There is a plethora of research that indicates the network of social relationships within organizations influences how valuable information is shared and diffused. Traditionally, business organizations have used hierarchical structures to maintain stability and impose pathways for communication. However, non-hierarchical modes (which are flatter and less rigid) of organizing have recently emerged with mixed results. To better understand the micro-processes that drive the costs and benefits of knowledge exchange in structured and unstructured networks, the proposed research seeks to compare and contrast the evolution of hierarchically and non- hierarchically organized collaborative work using surveys and Bluetooth enabled sensor devices. Using these devices, continuous data streams recording varying proximity states among study participants will be examined and analyzed to illustrate how communication is occurring and changing. This effort will shed new light on how hierarchical and non-hierarchical teams evolve in collaborative work settings.