Managing communications with experts in geographically distributed collaborative networks

Abstract

The idea of communication through collaboration is not new, however, the need to collaborate efficiently with subject matter experts has become essential towards establishing a competitive advantage among individuals, groups, and organizations. As networks expand, organizations flatten, and globalization continues, geographically distributed collaborative networks have become pervasive and are more common as a way of conducting daily business and resolving problems. Developing the ability to effectively manage communications with experts, through a collaboration strategy designed to maximize this new environment, has rapidly become a critical skill set. While people are becoming inundated with collaboration technologies, the assurance needed that strong connections are formed, regardless of the technological tools utilized, requires an understanding of social science fundamentals. This further requires an understanding of network science fundamentals. Understanding the intricacies involved in managing communications with experts in a geographically distributed collaborative network is extremely important but under-researched. This thesis combines social and network science fundamentals to develop a strategy for managing communications with experts in geographically distributed collaborative networks.