R&D ecology: using 2-mode network analysis to explore complexity in R&D environments

It has been demonstrated that a complex division of labor provides for the diversity of knowledge that is critical for organizational innovation and productivity [Hage, J., 1999. Organizational innovation and organizational change. Annual Review of Sociology 25, 597-622]. This article examines the impact of complexity in an R&D setting and adopts the approach that collaborative research involves a range of specialties and skills, which can be viewed separately from the individuals involved in the collaboration process. To explore this hypothesis, the use of 2-mode network analysis allows for an examination of the interrelationships of these competencies within a cluster of R&D projects in a large multi-disciplinary national laboratory. These networks of competencies are shown to have structural characteristics, which impact on the productivity of research projects. It is argued that the interrelationship of network structure and complexity should be given consideration in the management of R&D projects.