Empirical research on organizational infrastructure model impact to spatial data sharing

Abstract

There are many factors in various aspects that affect spatial data sharing (SDS), such as organization, personnel, legal system, data use, technique, motives, cost, fairness, power balance and data standards. Early research had mostly dealt with personal experience, which lacked holistic thinking and resolving. In recent years, researchers who believed SDS as a social phenomenon began study using Social Network Analysis and observed the role played by organizational networks during the process of SDS to explain how organizational networks affected SDS. While there exist few studies on SDS between units and persons within an organization, and past research lacked effective methods of message gathering and filtering from the targeted organizations, this study proposed the empirical method and dimensions, unlike before, to understand and promote SDS from various aspects. After observation on organizational process of SDS over a long period, this article gathered empirical data on the behaviours of SDS in Taichung City Government over 17 years and explained the sharing structure model of spatial data in organizational network by Social Network Analysis and Graph Theory. The importance of the connection between the centre node in such structural model and the routine affairs of the organization was elaborated. This study provided the empirical method and scientifically generated results.