Question: Social Networks in Project and Enterprise Organisations

Social Networks in Project and Enterprise Organisations

Assessment Brief

Your task is to interpret a dataset of your choosing from a network analysis perspective, using software, and present your interpretation in a written 2500-word essay. You will need to:

Select a dataset for your assignment. You can search datasets on the UK Data Service (https://ukdataservice.ac.uk) and IPUMS (https://www.ipums.org). You will need to create an account on each platform to access data. You can also look at datasets on the Stanford Large Network Dataset Collection (https://snap.stanford.edu/data/), CASOS (http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/tools/datasets/external/index.php), or through this list of lists of network datasets (https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/social-network-analysis/resources/dataset).

Think carefully about what variables are available, and what your outcome variable would be (is it some attributes of individuals, or the network itself) as this will determine what type of analysis is appropriate.

Carry out a thorough analysis of your chosen dataset. You should use software-RStudio to process the data and produce:

• a visualisation of the patterns of ties in the network.

• descriptive statistical analysis of:

• • network structure
  • The patterns of interaction among team members, as well as its properties such as average number of links between team members, and the number and qualities of subgroups.
  • Centrality, identify prominent actors within the networks, and their roles in the network.

• a modelling effort, either through ERGM or regression, as appropriate.

Report on the findings of your analysis. Discuss what the implications are and what your recommendations would be. Explain what future research should look at and what managers or policy-makers should be doing.

Link to module learning outcomes

This essay will help you learn to:

• Discuss the concept of social networks in project and enterprise organisations, the various types of relationships that can occur within them, their external context and how they are managed.
• Critically evaluate research and application of the social network approach in the study of project and enterprise organisations informed by leading edge research and practice in the field.
• Relate and apply key social network theories to selected case studies.
• Collect, model and visualise network data using software (e.g. R), analyse network structures using descriptive measures, evaluate findings and communicate results effectively.

Format structure

Please find the following information relevant in your coursework brief:

Marking Criteria