Abstract
Innovations in network visualization software over the last decade or so have been important to the popularization of social network analysis (SNA) among academics, consultants and managers. Indeed, there is a growing literature that seeks to demonstrate how ‘invisible social networks’ might be revealed and leveraged for ‘visible results’ through management interventions. However, the seductive power of the network graphic has distracted attention away from a variety of emerging and long recognized concerns in SNA. For example, weaknesses exist in data collection techniques that often rely on nominal boundary‐setting and respondent recall. Non‐response can also be highly problematic. Increasingly, email data are being employed, yet this represents a poor proxy for relationships and raises issues of privacy. In displaying relational data, visualizations typically reify and ossify the network. Yet, individual perceptions of a network can vary greatly from unified visualizations, and their structure is typically fleeting. The aim of this paper is to draw together the diffuse literature concerning data input and visual output issues in SNA, in order to raise awareness among management researchers and practitioners. In doing so, the nature and impact of such weaknesses are discussed, as are ways in which these might be resolved or mitigated.
Highlights
The network literature has grown exponentially in recent years across a wide range of fields, including business and management (Borgatti and Foster 2003: 992)
It is argued that the emergence over the last 10-15 years of powerful and freely available network visualisation tools (e.g. ‘Krackplot’1, ‘UCINET’2, ‘Payek’3, ‘Metasight’4), has encouraged the use of social network analysis (SNA)
Fo employs visualisation tools to depict the social structure under investigation, there are a rapidly growing number of examples that can be found within the academic literature, including the majority of the studies referenced in this paper, as well as in practitioner texts and on consultancy websites
Summary
The network literature has grown exponentially in recent years across a wide range of fields, including business and management (Borgatti and Foster 2003: 992). Despite the growing use of SNA by business and management academics and practitioners, ew it is contended that too little attention in the literature has been focused on the nature of the data being collected, the manner in which it is being displayed, or the associated ethical issues in such studies It is common for SNA studies in the management field to be silent or underplay important issues relating to boundary-setting, informant response rates, and decisions concerning network visualisation We surface the ethical and privacy issues associated with network research These are increasingly pertinent because of the rise in use of SNA by consultants and managers in relation to decision-making within organisations (Cross et al 2001; Parker et al 2001). Borgatti and Molina (2003: 338) rightly warn us that ‘consideration of ethical issues [is] increasingly critical as organizations start basing personnel and reorganization decisions on network analyses’
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