Network Communication

An interpersonal network is a social network which is focused on face to face communication, but nowadays this also takes place online via social media. Like a social network the idea is to provide an easy way to communicate between friends, colleagues and those with common interests. Unlike a typical social network an interpersonal network usually focus on a narrow set of interests and tries to draw people together into a local, more personal face to face meeting.

Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication. Research has shown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in several important ways. Communication networks may affect the group's completion of assigned tasks on time, the position of the leader in the group, or they may affect the group members' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network.

Network communication is especially important whenever individuals are involved in exchanging information in order to reduce their uncertainty; when they are in a new job or organization, when they are learning about a new idea, when a major news event has just happened. In all of these situations where individuals want information, and where the information is especially likely to change their behavior, they depend heavily on interpersonal communication messages that are transmitted through networks (Rogers & Kancaid, 1981).

Therefore, during organizational change network communication plays an important role in the reduction of uncertainty and stress. It is known that stress is related to sickness. A relation may exist between netwerk communication, stress and sick-leave. Subsequently, it might be wise for organizations to have a clear picture of their network communication. They can see exactly how communication flows occur and evolve within their organization. As a result, several points can be improved and issues can be solved. Organizational communication will be much more effective and efficient.