Structural constraints of intraor ganizational relation ships: an analysis of communication and decision relations

This paper aims to analyze the communication and decision relations making between managers established and industrial organization. Starting with conceptual issues outlined in the organization theory and social networks theories, we first assess how the formal structure determines the relations of communication and decision making. Then we evaluate how the departmental structure enacts patterns of homophily and heterophily. Finally, we evaluate how the formal aspects of the office, personal characteristics and position in the network are associated with the prestige of the managers. In the results, we stress that, between the formal relations, hierarchical relationship determines natural relations, affecting more instrumental choices (decision making) that social choices (communication). We also observed that the production department has a tendency of segregation or homophily, while other departments have a tendency of differentiation or heterophily. Finally, trying to understand the background to the reputation of managers, we identify which among the variables of networks, those that point to the formation of social capital through weak ties were more strongly related to prestige in decision making than those indicate that social capital through strong ties.

Social network analysis; Homophily; Prestige; Intraorganizational relations; Organization theory