Interesting SNA tool at MIT

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is another potential candidate for TBNT - see Social Networking in NYC. I had the pleasure of spending time last month with Peter Gloor of MIT Sloan CCS and the Dartmouth Tuck School. Peter is the former head of the eCommerce practice for Deloitte in Europe. He and his colleagues at MIT/Tuck have developed an open source SNA tool. You can find and download it at ickn.org. The tool analyses social networks by looking at e-mail patterns. It can be used to understand the communication patterns within work groups and others who communicate through e-mail. Both functional and dysfunctional patterns can be determined and this analysis can provide guidance for corrective action to increase work group productivity. Peter and his colleagues are especially interested in the use of SNA to promote innovation.