Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Eva Eckenh<strong>of</strong>er
An important benefit from social networks for <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> intellectual capital is knowledge sharing.
Knowledge sharing can be achieved and fostered by social networks. In order to boost this behaviour,
a clear mission and goal has to be developed by management. At <strong>the</strong> same time social networks that
share <strong>the</strong>se goals have to be established, as <strong>the</strong>y contribute significantly to attitudes toward
knowledge sharing and <strong>the</strong> intention to share knowledge within <strong>the</strong> organization (Chow and Chan,
2008). Problems in traditional strategies towards knowledge management <strong>of</strong>ten occur due to high
complexity and efforts, which make knowledge management too time-consuming for employees.
Group cohesion, trust, fault tolerance, open mindedness, responsibility and employee-orientation <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> management are factors which on one hand can facilitate <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> networks and on <strong>the</strong>
o<strong>the</strong>r hand supports knowledge sharing (Killich and Kopp, 2005).
According to <strong>the</strong> actor-network <strong>the</strong>ory, <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> social networks occurs in four steps, thus,
<strong>the</strong> four moments <strong>of</strong> translation. The first step is problematization, where certain problems are defined
and examined with <strong>the</strong> aim <strong>of</strong> resolving <strong>the</strong>m. This is followed by interessement, where <strong>the</strong> moment <strong>of</strong>
persuasion comes up; and in <strong>the</strong> moment <strong>of</strong> enrolment, human and non-human actors take specific
roles and responsibilities for <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> solution. The last step is <strong>the</strong> moment <strong>of</strong>
mobilization where actors and resources are mobilized to ensure that <strong>the</strong> networks achieve its
objectives and sustain <strong>the</strong> commitment and energy <strong>of</strong> its members (Callon 1986, 1991 and Latour,
1987 in Alfer<strong>of</strong>f and Knights, 2009). The market drivers for network formation are technological
changes, new ways <strong>of</strong> communication and information processing technology, globalization in general
with <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> Internet, deregulation and opening <strong>of</strong> national markets. Ano<strong>the</strong>r reason for
network formation is <strong>the</strong> increasing information intensity and importance <strong>of</strong> knowledge in today’s
society. Typical industry patters, which favour <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> networks, are outsourcing,
standardization initiatives and co-operation (Riemer and Klein, 2006).
3.1 Network management models
‘Equal’, a program <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>European</strong> social fund for fighting discrimination, realizes its projects within
networks. In <strong>the</strong>ir case networks emerge due to definition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> team, <strong>the</strong> operative and transnational
partners and <strong>the</strong> coordinative centre. The experience from <strong>the</strong>se programs was that, a competent
network management is necessary, though <strong>the</strong> classical hierarchical organizational principals are not
applicable. Therefore, <strong>the</strong>y established a guideline <strong>of</strong> tasks and questions for network management.
The objective <strong>of</strong> Network management is to choose <strong>the</strong> right network members, ensuring knowledge
transfer and target orientation and acting as a moderator and promoter within <strong>the</strong> team and as a
communicator outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network (Hellmann-Flocken and Unger, 2005).
Howaldt and Ellerkmann (2005) provide a guiding compendium that divides <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong>
networks into seven phases: Idea and impulse (idea <strong>of</strong> one or more promoters), Design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
partnership (Selection according to target and willingness), Constitution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network (Establishment
<strong>of</strong> identity, organisational structure and form <strong>of</strong> business), Working phase (where work on <strong>the</strong> target <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> project is done), Evaluation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project (continuously evaluation and monitoring),
Metamorphoses (Change or transformation into a legal form <strong>of</strong> enterprise), Conclusion
(documentation, formal ending).
3.1.1 From Sydow and Windeler to Strategic Networking
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most famous network management <strong>the</strong>ories is <strong>the</strong> one developed by Sydow and Windeler
(2001), which proposes four additional functions to traditional management: Selection, Regulation,
Allocation and Evaluation. In <strong>the</strong> first step <strong>of</strong> selection, <strong>the</strong> network members and organisations are
selected. During <strong>the</strong> step <strong>of</strong> allocation <strong>the</strong> tasks and resources in <strong>the</strong> network have to be coordinated
and <strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> alliance defined. Coordinating committees, controlling and conflict resolutions are
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> regulation process, and this is also where formal and informal norms are established. In <strong>the</strong>
final step <strong>of</strong> evaluation, achievements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> network as well as its relations have to be coordinated.
The four network management function are recursive related to each o<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>the</strong>y are recurring and
not singular in order to fight controversies such as, trust and control, cooperation and concurrency,
formality and informality, flexibility and stability, market and hierarchy, that exist in <strong>the</strong> network
(Sydow, 2006; Payer, 2002). Strategic Networking adapts <strong>the</strong> model <strong>of</strong> Sydow and Windeler and puts
<strong>the</strong> target in <strong>the</strong> centre followed by network analysis as can be seen in Figure 1. Strategic Networking
is <strong>the</strong> strategic and target-oriented analysis, development, fostering and control <strong>of</strong> (inter- as well as
intra-organisational) networks on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> trust, with <strong>the</strong> intention to reach certain (organisational)
goals (Eckenh<strong>of</strong>er, 2008).
242