Social network analysis (SNA) has been described as the “social and organizational equivalent of microscopes, telescopes, and spectrometers,” and as an “organizational X-ray” for mapping and measuring the normally invisible relationships between people. SNA (or, as preferred by consultants, organizational network analysis—ONA) analyzes relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations and the social patterns they form to identify which people play key roles in a network.

SNA started out in the 1930s as a theory for understanding social patterns. As new tools became available for gathering data on relationships and knowledge flows, it developed into its current form as a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships. This rather abstract and academic field actually has a wide range of practical uses in business. These include improving use and reuse of intellectual assets, providing better support to key individuals, understanding and strengthening the health of a group, improving decision-making processes, promoting innovation, and assisting post-merger integration.

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