Organizations as Professional-Specialized Social Networks: The Situation of People and Knowledge

To introduce the metaphor oforganization as a professional - specialized social network site (SNS) and explain its role in shaping staff’s paradigm as a new platform for organizational interactions.
First the range of concepts involved in a professional – specialized SNS were identified by examining an Iranian network. Based on the concepts extracted and drawing on the evidence from the literature, the role of such networks as a platform for managing organizational communications explained.
The metaphor of organization as a professional – specialized SNS views the organization as a) a community of specialized individuals and groups for establishing professional interactions; b) a collaborative environment for generating, organizing and sharing organizational information and knowledge; and c) a supportive tool for professional and job-related services.Professional – specialized SNSs can change the paradigms in an organization in a way that people and knowledge would play more important roles in achieving organizational goals.