Use of Maximal Spanning Trees and the Gamma Test of Monotone Trend in the Development and Assessment of Teams

Analysis of Social Networks may be further supported through the collection of ordinal data. Such data may help to determine potentially optimal teams extending across groups or departments through the use of Kruskal‘s Algorithm for the identification of Maximal Spanning Trees. Ordinal assessments of workers by those who have collaborated with them in the past may be aggregated into simple, stratified network visualizations to identify high performing members as well as those who may need re-training or reassignment. Contingency table analysis and the Gamma Test of Monotone Trend may provide further evidence supporting the identification of such individuals. Additionally, the Gamma Test offers a more powerful and informative alternative to the Chi-Squared Test of Independence. These methods stand out as an area for further research in practical settings and may be streamlined into existing research practices with great ease.