SNA has been described as “ the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows between people, groups, organisations, computers or other information/knowledge processing entities. The nodes in the
network are the people and groups, while the links show relationships or flows between the nodes” ( Krebs, 2006 ). SNA deems relationships significant, and maps and evaluates both formal and informal connections in order to obtain an understanding of what assists or hampers knowledge flow within cooperating divisions. According to Mertens et al. (2013) , SNA employed within an organisation is occasionally referred to as organisational
network analysis (ONA). In such an instance, the emphasis is placed on “identifying key
networks within organisational boundaries, understanding the structure of personal and group relationships within these
networks, and using this understanding to make a difference to business performance” (p. 3). SNAs can therefore be regarded as visual and mathematical tools and techniques that are utilised to identify and analyse relationship patterns among actors within a
network. It can be implemented in order to help organisations develop their strategic decisions, promote innovation and to advance the flow of information and knowledge for example.
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Understanding Knowledge Networks Through Social Network Analysis