The State of Network Organization: A Survey in Three Frameworks

Journal of Organizational Computing, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1997

50 Pages Posted: 27 Mar 2009 Last revised: 31 Mar 2009

See all articles by Marshall W. Van Alstyne

Marshall W. Van Alstyne

Boston University - Department of Management Information Systems; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School

Date Written: March 26, 2009

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on network organizations and interprets explanations for its behaviors in terms of established analytical principles. Tools from computer science, economics, and sociology give three markedly different interpretations of its core attributes but they also settle on a handful of common themes. The proposed benefits are a clarification of what it means for an organization to be network structured, a few insights into its origins, and a suggestion of where the boundaries to some of its different forms might lie.

Keywords: markets versus hierarchies, decentralization, decision locus, asset specificity, vertical integration, communication, coordination costs, governance, teams, collaboration

Suggested Citation

Van Alstyne, Marshall W., The State of Network Organization: A Survey in Three Frameworks (March 26, 2009). Journal of Organizational Computing, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1997, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1368930

Marshall W. Van Alstyne (Contact Author)

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School ( email )

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