Bridging the gap: Brokering online organizational groups

The title of my dissertation, ‘Bridging the gap: Brokering online organizational groups’, refers to the role of brokering, and particularly within an online environment such as an Employee Social Network (ESN). Employees who have access to an ESN are able to start online groups, share knowledge, discuss ideas, and find colleagues based on interest. A number of employees will engage in multiple groups at the same time, and as such bring those groups closer together, as the groups share one or more members. As a result, a network of groups arises. I view these employees who are active in multiple groups as brokers. In order to gain more understanding of what is going on beneath the surface of ESNs, I turned towards social networks theory. Brokers connect groups, which results in a social network of groups. Also, employees interact with other employees, which results in a social network of individual actors. My aim for this dissertation was to understand the dynamics of these different kinds of networks, and I depart from the following overall research question: How do brokers enact brokering on an Enterprise Social Network, and which brokering mechanisms are at play at multiple organizational levels over time? All key findings are rooted in what I refer to as collective dynamic brokering behavior. This dissertation adds to the debate on brokering from a collective point of view, which so far left unanswered the aspect of multiple brokers sharing the same brokerage position and the influence this may have on brokering outcomes. I also add to the debate on dynamic brokering. As brokering activities of various brokers increase or decrease in intensity, connections between groups become more fluid. Finally, this dissertation makes a contribution to our understanding of brokering behavior by unpacking how brokers experience the networked environment in which they operate.