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Communication Networks from the Enron Email Corpus “It's Always About the People. Enron is no Different”

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Listed:
  • Jana Diesner

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Terrill L. Frantz

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Kathleen M. Carley

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

Abstract

The Enron email corpus is appealing to researchers because it represents a rich temporal record of internal communication within a large, real-world organization facing a severe and survival-threatening crisis. We describe how we enhanced the original corpus database and present findings from our investigation undertaken with a social network analytic perspective. We explore the dynamics of the structure and properties of the organizational communication network, as well as the characteristics and patterns of communicative behavior of the employees from different organizational levels. We found that during the crisis period, communication among employees became more diverse with respect to established contacts and formal roles. Also during the crisis period, previously disconnected employees began to engage in mutual communication, so that interpersonal communication was intensified and spread through the network, bypassing formal chains of communication. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into a real-world organizational crisis, which may be further used for validating or developing theories and dynamic models of organizational crises; thereby leading to a better understanding of the underlying causes of, and response to, organization failure.

Suggested Citation

  • Jana Diesner & Terrill L. Frantz & Kathleen M. Carley, 2005. "Communication Networks from the Enron Email Corpus “It's Always About the People. Enron is no Different”," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 201-228, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:comaot:v:11:y:2005:i:3:d:10.1007_s10588-005-5377-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10588-005-5377-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carey E. Priebe & John M. Conroy & David J. Marchette & Youngser Park, 2005. "Scan Statistics on Enron Graphs," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 229-247, October.
    2. P. S. Keila & D. B. Skillicorn, 2005. "Structure in the Enron Email Dataset," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 183-199, October.
    3. Anurat Chapanond & Mukkai S. Krishnamoorthy & Bülent Yener, 2005. "Graph Theoretic and Spectral Analysis of Enron Email Data," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 265-281, October.
    4. John Seely Brown & Paul Duguid, 1991. "Organizational Learning and Communities-of-Practice: Toward a Unified View of Working, Learning, and Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 40-57, February.
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