Knowledge Networks and Organizational Formats

Co-Evolution of Knowledge Networks and 21st Century Forms of Organization

URL = http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail235.html

Recent technological advances in hardware and software, broadband connectivity, and the decreasing cost of computers, cell phones, and other such devices have created an environment where we can connect with anyone, anytime, anywhere almost effortlessly. However, how do we determine with whom we want to connect? The answers to this question can be found by studying the underlying socio-technological motivations for the creation, maintenance, destruction, and reconstitution of knowledge and social networks. Dr. Noshir Contractor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, discusses his research in communication theory of dynamically linked knowledge networks over the past ten years at Mesh Forum 2005 during his presentation titled "Coevolution of Knowledge Networks and 21st Century Forms of Organizing."

Dr. Contractor presents a multi-theoretical multilevel model of using technologies to understand knowledge and social network organization through the discussion of real-world examples. From the 'Lovegety' to Amazon purchase suggestions and beyond, Dr. Contractor outlines the concepts that form the basis of social and knowledge networks. Those concepts are: the social network, "it's not what you know, but who you know"; the cognitive-social network, "it's not who you know, it's who they you think you know"; the knowledge network, "it's not who you know, it's what they think you know"; the cognitive-knowledge network, "it's not who you know, it's what who you know knows."