Cause Maps and Social Network Analysis in Organizational Diagnosis

Cause maps and social network analysis both use simple matrix techniques to represent organizational processes that are not well described using traditional research tools. These approaches are particularly suited to operationalizing the concepts of organizational complexity and structure in a concrete, practical manner. This article integrates these two techniques in the service of organizational diagnosis. Specifically, a juxtaposition matrix dividing organizational subunits into functional types and correlating these with critical organizational variables is created and analyzed Data from an empirical study of a small title company are used to illustrate the procedures developed and their relevance to the practical problems of actual organizations.

[1]  Alex Bavelas,et al.  Communication Patterns in Task‐Oriented Groups , 1950 .

[2]  R. Weiss,et al.  A Method for the Analysis of the Structure of Complex Organizations , 1955 .

[3]  R. Hall,et al.  Organizational Size, Complexity, and Formalization , 1967 .

[4]  James D. Thompson.  Organizations in Action , 1967 .

[5]  C. Perrow.  A FRAMEWORK FOR THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONS , 1967 .

[6]  D. Pugh,et al.  Operations Technology and Organization Structure: An Empirical Reappraisal , 1969 .

[7]  K. Weick.  The social psychology of organizing , 1969 .

[8]  Fred S. Roberts,et al.  Building and Analyzing an Energy Demand Signed Digraph , 1973 .

[9]  John H. Freeman.  Environment, Technology, and the Administrative Intensity of Manufacturing Organizations , 1973 .

[10]  R. Breiger.  The Duality of Persons and Groups , 1974 .

[11]  S. Boorman,et al.  Social Structure from Multiple Networks. I. Blockmodels of Roles and Positions , 1976, American Journal of Sociology.

[12]  M. Bougon.  Cognition in Organizations: An Analysis of the Utrecht Jazz Orchestra. , 1977 .

[13]  R Dewar,et al.  Size, technology, complexity, and structural differentiation: toward a theoretical synthesis. , 1978, Administrative science quarterly.

[14]  Howard E. Aldrich.  Organizations and Environments , 1979 .

[15]  J. Pearce,et al.  A Social Network Approach to Organizational Design-Performance , 1983 .

[16]  Michael Masuch,et al.  Vicious circles in organizations. , 1985 .

[17]  N. Lin,et al.  Social structure and network analysis , 1985 .

[18]  R. Nelson,et al.  The Use of Blockmodelling in the Study of Organization Structure: A Methodological Proposal , 1986 .

[19]  R. Faulkner,et al.  Cognition and Leadership in an Artistic Organization. , 1986 .

[20]  W. Mckinley.  Complexity and Administrative Intensity: The Case of Declining Organizations. , 1987 .

[21]  Robert N. Stern,et al.  Informal Networks and Organizational Crises: An Experimental Simulation , 1988 .

[22]  Reed E. Nelson,et al.  Social Network Analysis as Intervention Tool , 1988 .

[23]  A. Kimball Romney,et al.  Systematic Data Collection , 1988 .

[24]  R. Nelson.  THE STRENGTH OF STRONG TIES: SOCIAL NETWORKS AND INTERGROUP CONFLICT IN ORGANIZATIONS , 1989 .