Profs' Social Network Research Gains International Acclaim
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 21, 2007) − When it comes to the business
world, various relationships can affect major aspects of being a successful employee,
department or organization. To put it another way, the cliché is often true: it's not
just what you know that counts, it's also who you know.
Research into this area of social and organizational networks, known as social network analysis, is bringing widespread recognition to the University of Kentucky and professors such as Daniel J. Brass and Giuseppe (Joe) Labianca.
Brass, considered a pioneer in the field, is the J. Hennings Hilliard Chair in Innovation Management in the Gatton College of Business and Economics and serves as director of LINKS, the International Center for the Study of Social Networks in Business.
"The whole idea of LINKS is connecting scholars with businesses," said Brass. "We'd like to be the link between the academic world and the business world."
Labianca, who taught at Tulane and Emory universities before coming to UK, is the Gatton Endowed Associate Professor of Management. His doctoral work at Penn State University connected him with Brass.
"The study of social networks as a scientific endeavor has grown tremendously in recent years," said Labianca. "Corporations and other organizations realize that a better understanding of relationships can lead to positively impacting work flow, sales opportunities, job satisfaction, and more."
Recently, Labianca received word that a research paper, which he co-authored with three scholars based in Europe, has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 OMT (Organization and Management Theory Division of the Academy of Management) Best Paper Award.
"We studied civil servants working across 28 ministries (cabinet-level departments) in the Ukraine," said Labianca. "We found that people who reach out to a broad network of people and who get to know a couple of key people in each department are more likely to be more efficient and productive, thus more effective in improving their career status. These people tend to have a better grasp of the 'big picture'."
The OMT Best Paper honor will be presented to Labianca and his colleagues in early August in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Labianca and Brass teamed up on a research publication which has been judged the 2006 runner-up for the best paper of the year by the AMR (Academy of Management Review), out of hundreds submitted from all over the globe. The AMR is a leading journal in the field of management, serving over 10,000 members worldwide.
"Basically, negative relationships in business, who dislikes whom, can be a driving force in what goes on in an organization," said Labianca. "Executives need to realize that a certain amount of conflict between people is inevitable. It's how you manage the conflict and refocus the energy in a positive direction that counts."
A commendation regarding the publication authored by Labianca and Brass is scheduled to appear in the October issue of AMR.
D. Sudharshan, dean of the Gatton College, said, "This recognition earned by Joe Labianca and Dan Brass further demonstrates the high quality of our faculty. And, our students benefit directly as this work is brought into the classroom."
Research into this area of social and organizational networks, known as social network analysis, is bringing widespread recognition to the University of Kentucky and professors such as Daniel J. Brass and Giuseppe (Joe) Labianca.
Brass, considered a pioneer in the field, is the J. Hennings Hilliard Chair in Innovation Management in the Gatton College of Business and Economics and serves as director of LINKS, the International Center for the Study of Social Networks in Business.
"The whole idea of LINKS is connecting scholars with businesses," said Brass. "We'd like to be the link between the academic world and the business world."
Labianca, who taught at Tulane and Emory universities before coming to UK, is the Gatton Endowed Associate Professor of Management. His doctoral work at Penn State University connected him with Brass.
"The study of social networks as a scientific endeavor has grown tremendously in recent years," said Labianca. "Corporations and other organizations realize that a better understanding of relationships can lead to positively impacting work flow, sales opportunities, job satisfaction, and more."
Recently, Labianca received word that a research paper, which he co-authored with three scholars based in Europe, has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 OMT (Organization and Management Theory Division of the Academy of Management) Best Paper Award.
"We studied civil servants working across 28 ministries (cabinet-level departments) in the Ukraine," said Labianca. "We found that people who reach out to a broad network of people and who get to know a couple of key people in each department are more likely to be more efficient and productive, thus more effective in improving their career status. These people tend to have a better grasp of the 'big picture'."
The OMT Best Paper honor will be presented to Labianca and his colleagues in early August in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Labianca and Brass teamed up on a research publication which has been judged the 2006 runner-up for the best paper of the year by the AMR (Academy of Management Review), out of hundreds submitted from all over the globe. The AMR is a leading journal in the field of management, serving over 10,000 members worldwide.
"Basically, negative relationships in business, who dislikes whom, can be a driving force in what goes on in an organization," said Labianca. "Executives need to realize that a certain amount of conflict between people is inevitable. It's how you manage the conflict and refocus the energy in a positive direction that counts."
A commendation regarding the publication authored by Labianca and Brass is scheduled to appear in the October issue of AMR.
D. Sudharshan, dean of the Gatton College, said, "This recognition earned by Joe Labianca and Dan Brass further demonstrates the high quality of our faculty. And, our students benefit directly as this work is brought into the classroom."