Amity Business School

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COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
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Communication Networks
Amity Business School
Alex Bavelas (1950) experimented with these
networks and found that they differ along two
dimensions:

1. The characteristics of information
exchange.
(a) The speed of group problem solving
(b) The accuracy of group problem solving
(c) The saturation of the network----the
amount of information that the network
can handle.
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2. The characteristics of network members :
(a) Their satisfaction with the group decision
making process.
(b) Leadership emergence the degree to
which a single position or several positions
demonstrated leadership.
(c) The centralization of the group decision-
making process.
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THE CHAIN is a typical
network formation in the
organization. The information
flows only up or down in a
hierarchical chain of
command. No horizontal
communication is provided
SPEED-SLOW; ACCURACY FAIR;
SATURATION-MODERATE
X
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This is a 4 level
hierarchy where 2
subordinates through
the hierarchical
chain report to the
manager X who has 2
levels above him to
whom he reports

SPEEDSLOW
Accuracy fair
Saturation moderate
Y
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WHEEL/STAR This
represents a supervisor
in the centre with 4
subordinates. The
subordinates do not
communicate with each
other. All communication
is channeled through the
supervision
SPEED-FAST;
ACCURACY GOOD;
SATURATION - LOW
X
WHEEL
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This is a decentralized
Communication
network. Here
members of the group
may have a formal
leader or the supervisor
but the interaction is
primarily lateral among
members

SPEED SLOW,
ACCURACY POOR,
SATURATION-HIGH
CIRCLE
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A decentralized
communication
Network This
completely
connected network
enables members to
communicate freely
with the others.
Typically there is no
leader, and the
communication can
be initiated by any
one, even though one
member either
formally or informally
can become the
dominant member
ALL CHANNEL
SPEED FAST & SLOW, ACCURACY-GOOD;
SATURATION-HIGH
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GOSSIP CHAIN
(ONE TELLS MANY)
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CLUSTER CHAIN
(A FEW TELL SELECTED
OTHERS
Amity Business School GOSSIP CHAIN
Grapevine is the informal network that
serves a valuable channel of information.

It does not always follow the normal
channels of authority and communication.

Gossip Grapevine is an appropriate channel
for information that is interesting but not job
related
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Cluster Chain
Cluster Chain is the dominant form of
grapevine. A few people called Liaison
individuals transmit the information
they obtain, and they tend to give that
information only to people they trust or
from whom they seek favors.