The Study of Communication Networks and Communication Structure in Large Organizations.

This report describes a set of procedures for analyzing communication networks in large organizations. The procedures include the identification and evaluation of various kinds of networks, assessment of the organizational hierarchy, appraisal of various departments within the organization, and evaluation of individual communication behavior. The report begins by describing and illustrating the essential concepts of network analysis, thereby providing a vocabulary for talking about the process. In the second chapter several comparative techniques are described for evaluating the network, including overlaying the actual network on the organizational chart and comparing different networks. Several important network metrics, called communication structure variables, are identified, and their relationships to important aspects of organizational processes are suggested in the third chapter. Finally, information is provided to enable a reader to gain access to and utilize existing software for conducting a large-scale network analysis by computer. (Author/RB)