Overlaying business protocols with social networks

Nowadays many companies have invested a large amount of money in information technology, especially in improving business processes. The decision to invest in information technology is made by top management who have requirements and expectations on IT. However, there are gaps in business processes between management’s viewpoint and what really takes place. This is a significant gap valuable to examine because it can have a great impact on work effectiveness and productivity. Thus, we need to know how processes are different, we can interpret this difference, and how we can narrow these gaps. In order to examine the reality of business process, we employ Social Network Analysis which plays a role in capturing actual employee work processes. Through overlaying SNA with business processes, we can compare work process in reality with management’s expectation, and this can help to determine the fit of tasks to people. This research is being conducted at selected actual organizations through interviews and questionnaire surveys. Through this case study, we aim to determine if gaps in understanding of business processes exist, and if so analyse these gaps both qualitatively and quantitatively. This research may also provide recommendations on improving or re-designing business processes to narrow any gaps uncovered. Based on data from the real world, this study will propose explanations on currently issued social phenomena, re-illuminating human aspects of Business Process Management and providing foundations to be developed to a generalized theory.