The Impact of Social Media on the Productivity and Influence of Researchers in a Networked Organization

• In Event: 2451 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 24. Social Networks

Abstract

We use visible metrics of researcher networks to consider the effect of different types of ties--acquaintanceship, advice, and coauthorship--on productivity and influence. Unlike static studies of networked work, we look at how changes in these networks affected their performance and influence. We investigate if network members have more productivity and influence: when their networks are cohesive, when they are central in their networks or linked to central players, and when their work has more opportunities to disseminate through diverse, often non-redundant, ties. We find quite different phenomena: while the connectedness of these networks is positively associated with their performance, it is the non-redundant effective size of the networks that is positively associated with their influence.

Authors

• Zack Hayat, University of Toronto

• Dimitrina Dimitrova, University of Toronto

• Barry Wellman, NetLab Network