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Out of control: personal networks in European collaboration
Author(s) -
Macdonald Stuart,
Piekkari Rebecca
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9310.2005.00400.x
Subject(s) - european commission , control (management) , personal network , business , personally identifiable information , knowledge management , public relations , commission , management , computer science , political science , european union , economics , computer security , finance , economic policy
The formal ties that bind collaborating organisations are often assumed to be reinforced by the relationships of individual employees, and these by trust. So, too, are the personal networks by which employees acquire much of the information required for the organisation's innovation. It is easy to assume that personal networks should support collaborative arrangements. It is also tempting for managers to ensure that they do by bringing them under organisational control. This paper investigates collaboration in Esprit, the European Commission's programme for research in information technology. It finds personal networks, and considers the implications for innovation of attempts to render these networks compatible with collaboration.