Communication Networks

Abstract

The communication network imposed on the group influences its problem-solving efficiency, communication activity, organizational development, and member satisfaction. This chapter provides an overview of the communication networks, methodology employed in the research on communication networks and considers some of the structural properties of these networks, and outlines the major findings of experimental investigations of the effects of networks on group process. The major network difference is between centralized and decentralized networks. The direction and magnitude of the effects are modified by the following variables: kind of task, noise, information distribution, member personality, reinforcement, and the kind of prior experience the members have had in networks. The variable having the most pronounced effect is the kind of task the group must perform. Centralized networks are generally more efficient when the task requires merely the collection of information in one place, and decentralized networks are more efficient when further operations must be performed on the information before the task can be completed. The experiments discussed in the chapter, presents a great deal about the effects of communication networks, but the precise nature of many of the relationships among variables still remains unclear, and needs much clarification, such as network characteristics, kind of task, and group composition. The communication network studies have provided a great deal of information regarding structural effects upon group behavior. However, much more remains to be done.