MODELING THE COMMUNICATION-NETWORK IN A SAWMILL

Groups of employees communicate with each other in what can be conside red networks. Understanding the structure of these communication netwo rks is crucial to the success of wood products producers. This researc h illustrates the manner in which communication networks can be graphi cally modeled and quantified using techniques of social network analys is. Data were collected from a mid-sized softwood sawmill to examine t he network of communications among employees. The native language of m any of the employees was Spanish. Both production and management perso nnel were included in the sampling. Data were analyzed to produce a '' fingerprint'' of the communications structure within the organization, as well as indications of individual power within this structure. Res ults indicate that certain persons are gatekeepers for information flo ws between and among functional areas, as well as gatekeepers for info rmation between management and production. These gatekeepers must be r ecognized in order to diffuse information efficiently throughout the w orkplace. This research illustrates the importance of communication ne tworks in the manufacturing environment, especially for issues related to the interface between production and marketing.