TY - JOUR
T1 - Information leaders in product development organizational networks
T2 - Social network analysis of the design structure matrix
AU - Batallas, Diego Andres
AU - Yassine, Ali A.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Many models of Product Development (PD) are concerned with managing the decomposition and integration of tasks, teams and subsystems transforming a conceptual idea into a finished product. Specifically, a PD process is formed of cross-functional teams continuously exchanging information on specified tasks to integrate the product's final structure. Recently, it has been shown that large PD networks (e.g., tasks, teams, or components) follow a Scale Free structure. That is, each PD network included hubs that control information flow. Nevertheless, there is no literature on the implications of these findings on PD management. As a consequence, the objective of this paper is two-folded. First, we examine a set of mathematical measures such as centrality and brokerage used in Social Networks Analysis (SNA) to identify critical players in PD networks. Second, we link these findings to insights and recommendations for the management of complex PD organizational networks; in particular, detection and role designation of information leaders based on the given PD network structure.
AB - Many models of Product Development (PD) are concerned with managing the decomposition and integration of tasks, teams and subsystems transforming a conceptual idea into a finished product. Specifically, a PD process is formed of cross-functional teams continuously exchanging information on specified tasks to integrate the product's final structure. Recently, it has been shown that large PD networks (e.g., tasks, teams, or components) follow a Scale Free structure. That is, each PD network included hubs that control information flow. Nevertheless, there is no literature on the implications of these findings on PD management. As a consequence, the objective of this paper is two-folded. First, we examine a set of mathematical measures such as centrality and brokerage used in Social Networks Analysis (SNA) to identify critical players in PD networks. Second, we link these findings to insights and recommendations for the management of complex PD organizational networks; in particular, detection and role designation of information leaders based on the given PD network structure.
KW - Centrality and brokerage measures
KW - Design structure matrix
KW - Information flow
KW - Product development
KW - Social networks
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U2 - 10.1109/TEM.2006.883706
DO - 10.1109/TEM.2006.883706
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750595623
SN - 0018-9391
VL - 53
SP - 570
EP - 582
JO - IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
JF - IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
IS - 4
ER -