Dissonant Ties in Intraorganizational Networks: Why Individuals Seek Problem-Solving Assistance from Difficult Colleagues

This paper investigates employees seeking problem-solving assistance from colleagues with whom they find it difficult to work. In so doing, the paper introduces the construct of “dissonant ties”: network ties to colleagues that are simultaneously positive and negative. The study builds on the assumption that individuals in knowledge-intensive workplaces employ dissonant ties to access distinct work-related benefits, and establishes a link between dissonant ties and performance. Subsequently, it provides an in-depth analysis of employees’ willingness to rely on this potentially unpleasant but instrumental networking behavior, and suggests that formal hierarchical rank, tenure, and unit membership, as critical elements of the organizational architecture, drive dissonant tie formation. In the empirical analysis, the study utilizes survey and interview data collected from engineers in a large manufacturing firm. The findings confirm that seeking problem-solving assistance from difficult colleagues entails performance benefits. Moreover, the embeddedness of individuals in the organizational architecture shapes the employment of dissonant ties. Dissonant ties are, hence, context driven. By simultaneously addressing the consequences and the drivers of employees’ networking behavior, the study presents a comprehensive theory of dissonant ties that challenges and refines previous research on the interplay between positive and negative networks

Discussing the use of complexity theory in engineering management: Implications for sustainability

What is the state-of-the-art literature regarding the adoption of the complexity theory (CT) in engineering management (EM)? What implications can be derived for future research and practices concerning sustainability issues? In this conceptual article, we critically discuss the current status of complexity research in EM. In this regard, we use IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, because it is currently considered the leading journal in EM, and is as a reliable, heuristic proxy. From this journal, we analyze 38 representative publications on the topic published since 2000, and extrapolated through a rigorous keyword-based article search. In particular, we show that: (1) the adoption of CT has been associated with a wide range of key themes in EM, such as new product development, supply chain, and project management. (2) The adoption of CT has been witnessed in an increasing amount of publications, with a focus on conceptual modeling based on fuzzy logics, stochastic, or agent-based modeling prevailing. (3) Many key features of CT seem to be quite clearly observable in our dataset, with modeling and optimizing decision making, under uncertainty, as the dominant theme. However, only a limited number of studies appear to formally adhere to CT, to explain the dierent EM issues investigated. Thus, we derive various implications for EM research (concerning the research in and practice on sustainability issues)

Social Network Mapping and Analysis of the Southern California Aerospace Industry

Today’s dynamic environment illustrates the importance of networking in most industries, but especially critical for technical communities, though there is a gap in current literature of the network of the aerospace industry. This research will discuss the current literature and further the literature by mapping the aerospace southern California network based on an empirical study of mapping these actors within the network, resulting in key advanced measures, such as centrality to understand the implications of such analysis

Networking as a Strategic Tool, 1991

This conference focuses on the technological advances, pitfalls, requirements, and trends involved in planning and implementing an effective computer network system. The basic theme of the conference is networking as a strategic tool. Tutorials and conference presentations explore the technology and methods involved in this rapidly changing field. Future directions are explored from a global, as well as local, perspective

Industry 4.0 & Servitization: Role and impact of digital servitization strategies in international industrial markets

Il presente progetto di ricerca riguarda l'indagine di due fenomeni principali, la digitalizzazione e la servitizzazione, e la risultante ‘servitizzazione digitale’, all’interno dei mercati industriali. L'obiettivo principale di questo studio è contribuire alla generazione di nuova conoscenza circa i fenomeni indagati e fornire a manager e professionisti validi suggerimenti su come affrontarli con successo. La digitalizzazione e la servitizzazione digitale sono ambiti di ricerca recenti ma in forte crescita, attorno ai quali sta convergendo l'attenzione di numerose figure accademiche e professionali. Nonostante il grande dinamismo che caratterizza tali fenomeni, le imprese industriali si trovano ad affrontare ancora oggi diverse sfide nel tentativo di implementarli. In effetti, le aziende manifatturiere dimostrano di percepire barriere elevate all'investimento in strategie digitali. Adottando un approccio alla problematizzazione, è possibile notare come sia necessario sviluppare ulteriori conoscenze circa i processi di digitalizzazione e servitizzazione al fine di comprendere al meglio i vantaggi e le sfide ad essi connessi. Partendo dall’identificazione di una serie di nuove aree di ricerca ancora poco studiate, questa tesi analizza empiricamente i fenomeni di digitalizzazione e servitizzazione. A tal fine, il presente lavoro di ricerca è strutturato in cinque capitoli principali. Il Capitolo I – Fondamenti teorici e note metodologiche – passa in rassegna la letteratura disponibile su digitalizzazione e servitizzazione digitale e fornisce chiarimenti sulle note metodologiche adottate in questa tesi. Lo scopo del capitolo è fornire un'analisi teorica preliminare sulla digitalizzazione e la servitizzazione. Il Capitolo II – I meccanismi di diffusione della conoscenza di Industria 4.0 nei distretti industriali tradizionali: evidenze dall'Italia – indaga empiricamente la digitalizzazione a livello di analisi contestuale. Il capitolo esamina il contesto e i meccanismi attraverso i quali si stanno diffondendo le tecnologie di Industria 4.0. Il Capitolo III – Verso una prospettiva multilivello sulla servitizzazione digitale – studia empiricamente i percorsi di servitizzazione digitale di due aziende manifatturiere a livello intersettoriale. Il Capitolo IV – Tensioni intra e interorganizzative di una strategia di servitizzazione digitale: evidenze dal settore meccatronico in Italia – è uno studio empirico circa le tensioni emergenti legate alla servitizzazione digitale. In particolare, il capitolo implementa un'indagine approfondita su un'azienda industriale esplorando longitudinalmente le fasi del suo percorso di servitizzazione digitale al fine di districarne la complessità. Il Capitolo V – Osservazioni conclusive e percorsi di ricerca futuri – traccia le conclusioni della ricerca e fornisce linee di ricerca future. I principali contributi di questo lavoro di ricerca possono essere riassunti come segue. Questa tesi evidenzia la stretta connessione tra i fenomeni di digitalizzazione e servitizzazione e prova che la digitalizzazione può essere ‘un’arma a doppio taglio’. I risultati empirici raccolti descrivono la servitizzazione digitale attraverso la sua natura multilivello, che si manifesta su tre livelli: micro (individuale), organizzativo e di network. Inoltre, sottolinea l'impatto del networking nei processi di digitalizzazione e servitizzazione; nuovi attori entrano a far parte della catena del valore e possono influenzare l’andamento dei due fenomeni. Infine, la complessità dei processi di digitalizzazione e servitizzazione è provata empiricamente e si propone evidenza delle difficoltà incontrate dalle aziende manifatturiere nel tentativo di realizzarli

Why organizations fail to share knowledge: an empirical investigation and opportunities for improvement

Purpose: This paper explores critical failure factors (CFFs) in the context of knowledge sharing. It provides further insights into what can cause knowledge sharing failures, inflexible knowledge sharing strategies and ineffective knowledge sharing mechanisms. It also examines how practitioners can reduce or even mitigate such dysfunctions. Design/methodology/approach: A case-based inductive approach was conducted. Data was collected from two studies applying mixed methods. The first data set included nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews with highly skilled personnel from an Aerospace and Defense organization. The second data source included 375 successfully completed questionnaires from participants employed at the same organization. Findings: The paper identifies six CFFs with an impact on knowledge sharing. It also reveals that managing organizational ignorance can play a key role in generating new knowledge and averting failure. Study findings provide insights into the importance of identifying these failures when sharing knowledge and propose relevant mitigation strategies. Originality/value: This paper identifies a range of empirically validated CFFs that complement the extant work on the complexity of knowledge sharing and have hitherto not been seen in the literature. It also provides a more nuanced understanding of why both organizations and their people often fail to share knowledge by exploring the role of organizational ignorance

Distrust And Dominance In Managing Alternative Work Arrangements: A Micro-Analytic Test Of Transaction Cost Theory

Organizations that successfully outsource may see better value-creation in creating a sustainable competitive advantage.  The objectives of this study were threefold:  a) provide a framework for studying the effects of perceived distrust that leads to dominance, b) analyze how opportunism parlays into the concept of dominance, and c) determine if the relationship between outsource partners varies by analyzing transaction characteristics.  Our research shows that firms should take caution to fully understand the effects that contract size has on a firm’s resources.&nbsp

A Mixed-Method Approach for the Study of Practices in Interorganizational Settings

A general interest in the study of social practices has been spreading across a diversity of disciplines in organization and management research, relying mostly on rich ethnographic accounts of units or teams. What is often called the “practice-turn”, however, has not reached research on interorganizational networks. This is mainly due to methodological issues that call, in the end, for a mixed-method approach. This paper addresses this issue by proposing a research design that balances well-established social network analysis with a set of techniques of organizational ethnography that fit with the specifics of interorganizational networks. In what we call “network ethnography”, qualitative and quantitative data are collected and analyzed in a parallel fashion. Ultimately, the design implies convergence during data interpretation, hereby offering platforms of reflection for each method towards new data collection and analysis. We discuss implications for mixed- method literature, research on interorganizational networks, and organizational ethnography

Invisible Iterations: How Formal and Informal Organization Shape Knowledge Networks for Coordination

AbstractThis study takes a network approach to investigate coordination among knowledge workers as grounded in both formal and informal organization. We first derive hypotheses regarding patterns of knowledge‐sharing relationships by which workers pass on and exchange tacit and codified knowledge within and across organizational hierarchies to address the challenges that underpin contemporary knowledge work. We use survey data and apply exponential random graph models to test our hypotheses. We then extend the quantitative network analysis with insights from qualitative interviews and demonstrate that the identified knowledge‐sharing patterns are the micro‐foundational traces of collective coordination resulting from two underlying coordination mechanisms which we label ‘invisible iterations’ and ‘bringing in the big guns’. These mechanisms and, by extension, the associated knowledge‐sharing patterns enable knowledge workers to perform in a setting that is characterized by complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. Our research contributes to theory on the interplay between formal and informal organization for coordination by showing how self‐directed, informal action is supported by the formal organizational hierarchy. In doing so, it also extends understanding of the role that hierarchy plays for knowledge‐intensive work. Finally, it establishes the collective need to coordinate work as a previously overlooked driver of knowledge network relationships and network patterns.</jats:p