| The higher education industry exists at a critical juncture in its lifecycle. A series of economic, financial, regulatory, and technological challenges are threatening the viability of U.S. higher education. Organizations outside of higher education have used social network analysis (SNA) to illuminate the informal network structures that impact profitability. While higher education researchers have utilized SNA to understand faculty networks and student networks, there appears to be no research exploring the work networks of higher education staff members. This study utilizes SNA to better understand the network dynamics of staff members at an institution of higher education. This study analyzes communication, advice, and information-sharing networks to identify the most influential demographic groups and organizational subunits within staff networks. The study found significant correlations between age and centrality, organizational seniority and centrality, and organizational subunit membership and centrality. No significant correlations were found between gender and centrality or race/ethnicity and centrality. This study fills a significant gap in the literature on SNA in higher education and provides future researchers with a prototypical data instrument and research design to encourage continued research of informal staff networks at institutions of higher education. |
