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3.2.4 Social Networks of Systems Engineers in Integrated Product Development
Author(s) -
Smyre Melford E.,
Dooley Kevin
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.1998.tb00037.x
Subject(s) - process (computing) , product (mathematics) , new product development , process management , maturity (psychological) , key (lock) , quality (philosophy) , knowledge management , business , project team , engineering management , engineering , computer science , marketing , psychology , computer security , developmental psychology , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , operating system
Can an organization with low process skills reasonably expect to hire contract engineers to increase process skills within a project? This paper examines one large product development project where personnel strength was increased by the addition of contract systems engineers. The study focuses on the social networks formed by contract systems engineers with each other and with staff engineers, looking for clusters which correspond to product development teams and the system integration team. Using social network analyses, this paper examines propositions that team boundaries will be distinguishable through roles or positions of individuals, and that system integration teams will occupy more centralized positions than contributing product development teams. Although results of this study are mixed, social network analysis is emerging as a tool with potential to measure quality of team participation and predict team performance – key process areas for managing organizational maturity.