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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

review of literature, informal networks, social networks

College

David O. McKay School of Education

Department

Educational Leadership and Foundations

Abstract

The overall goal of the proposed research is to synthesize the current state of research and literature on organizational networks—specifically informal and social networks. Internally, informal networks consist of the relationships between people within the organization; these networks may not align with the formal organizational chart. Externally, informal network relationships connect people with others outside the organization; these network relationships create the conduits through which knowledge and resources can be brought into the organization. While these networks are extremely important for successful organizations, little has been done to understand the strategic roles networks play within educational organizations. Four questions were proposed to determine the state of social network research: 1. What research has been done in the fields of sociology, management, and education? 2. What are the implications of the existing network research for educational organizations? 3. What constructs, methods, and measures are being or have been used to collect and analyze network data in the study of informal and social networks? 4. What are the current and future research questions that need to be addressed in the area of informal and social networks in educational organizations?

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