An Investigation of the Structural and Relational Characteristics of Social Networks on Knowledge Exchange and Performance

A key question for managers in knowledge-intensive firms is how to encourage knowledge flows and new knowledge creation between individuals. Research has demonstrated that relationships are critical to knowledge exchange, yet we know little about the specific characteristics of relationships that affect access to different types of knowledge. Additionally, while prior research has focused on relationships based on face-to-face communication, with advances in information and communications technologies, individuals can just as easily seek knowledge through computer-mediated communication, changing the nature of the relationships that facilitate knowledge exchange. Therefore, our quest is to better understand how technology influences knowledge exchange, how the attributes of the relationships between individuals influence knowledge exchange, and how having access to different types of knowledge affects individual performance in organizations. Data will be gathered and analyzed in network form, using social network analysis techniques. Structural equation modeling will be used to test the hypothesized path model.