Kevin Bacon Is So 90's: Social Networks Are the Wave of the 21st Century

Too often social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter are seen as being the only examples of social networks. And while they are the wonderful combination of increased access, new technology, true social networks exist outside of these platforms in every day life, business, politics and economics. Through incontrovertible examples, we will affirm that the largest barometer of organizational success by 2025 will be the ability of organizations to expand their connectivity—with or without the help of social networking technologies. We readily concede that social networks are not agents for change taken alone. Human interaction, or what Clay Shirkey calls the “environmental approach” is a prerequisite for change and social networks are immensely helpful tools to accomplish an organizational goal. “Social media tools are not a replacement for real-world action but a way to coordinate it.”[1] However, what is indisputable is that in the 21^st Century information age, the organizations that are best positioned for success are those that utilize and maximize social networks.

Facilitate Connectivity with Previously Untapped Populations

Political campaigns in the U.S. and abroad have been revolutionized by the fact that social networks are so critical – and this trend is continuing. Barack Obama adopted a social networking model of political organizing in 2007-2008 that was unique to those employed by his chief rivals, Senators Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. Superior to precinct-captain hierarchical model whose success depends upon one individual with a gigantic “out degree” of connectivity, Obama’s “team based model” was horizontal with every member of the clique interconnected and capitalizing on their varied attributes. The reach of this network approach was not only more expansive but the de-emphasis on a singular node made it less susceptible to collapse. Given the indisputable success of Obama’s network, political campaigns of this decade and next will substitute archaic forms of organization for network theory.

Depiction of Obama's "Neighborhood Teams"

In the arena of public diplomacy, the United States Government has capitalized on the power of social networks to tap into previously unreached populations. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia directs a Facebook page that boasts over 300,000 members helping to facilitate reciprocal exchange and dialogue with Indonesian citizens. For Indonesians in the 18-35 demographic, the Facebook page is their only source of news about the United States. [2] It’s effectiveness is evidenced by the fact that more Indonesians are “fans” of the Embassy page than of other Facebook pages that are more critical of the United States. Additionally, the Embassy’s Facebook administrators’ are able to capture vital demographic data (such as age, gender, political views) from those who become “fans” on the Embassy’s Facebook page. [3] The major advantage is that the U.S. Government is using a social network to facilitate wider contact with a young Indonesia population that can serve as a foundation for deeper diplomatic face-to-face interactions.

Greater Efficiency In Reaching and Measuring Networked Individuals

‘Birds of a feather flock together’, is an old adage that succinctly captures the tendencies of individuals to bond over shared values and ideas. Leveraging social networks in this context is playing a key role in identifying new clients by grouping them based on shared characteristics, like wealth. This has allowed organizations to develop tailored campaigns better suited to the tastes of potential clients resulting in ‘five times higher efficiency than traditional client acquisition systems’.[4] For instance, this firm identified key people to target by introducing a notion of ‘Most Valuable Persons’ using social networks of rich clients:

In the same context, analysis of social networks has brought together groups and individuals working “on common problems thus shaving years off research and honing corporate strategies”[5]. As the preceding footnote shows, Boston Consulting Group has created propriety software for this purpose. This methodology is an invaluable tool not only for gaining a better understanding of the competitive environment but also to exploit untapped opportunities for cooperation. In a constantly evolving global economy where participants have to deal with immense information overload, such actionable knowledge becomes critical for success.

The Next Frontier: Nations as Nodes in Social Networks

The Proliferation Security Initiative is an example of a successful social network-based initiative among organizations that will be popularized by 2025. It demonstrates how a decentralized network of states can enforce an international treaty more effectively than bureaucracies charged with enforcement. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a non-binding pledge among over 90 countries that allows (with permission) a state to intercept an inbound vessel suspected of carrying illicit weapon materials. The brilliance of the PSI Network is that there is no Secretariat or hierarchical governing body to enforce the pledge. It is feasible that future multilateral agreements will favor this model to international treaties that offer similar “club goods” but who have burdensome bureaucratic oversight (i.e. UN Security Council/WTO, etc.). Recent research supports this notion:

“Through networks, organizations can quickly and efficiently work with one another to achieve specific goals that require combined resources and expertise that hierarchies alone could not readily accomplish. These same organizations can reduce or even break their current relationships and develop ties to others, as needs and tasks change. This flexibility allows networked organizations to respond quickly to competition and other environmental threats, as well as to opportunities.”[6]

Security agreements such as PSI can be put into force immediately without ratification, and its mission of deterring the transfer of illicit materials is achieved through the reciprocal ties and information sharing among nations. PSI Members can also detect if a bad actor is attempting to import “dual use” materials that would go undetected absent direct communication. While Article II of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) prohibits the transfer of weapons technology to non-nuclear weapons states, the bureaucratic framework of international law to verify compliance is less efficient than PSI’s. For instance, while the hierarchical United Nations Security Council (UNSC) must go through time-consuming, resource draining steps to conduct investigations and ultimately achieve unanimity to determine guilt of a member. However, interdiction under PSI’s informal social network allows for immediate action outside the Security Council while a state is in the act of violating Article 2 of NPT. The sharing of information among nation members more freely also allows for to more efficiently identify those not in compliance.

The world already seen how the role of social networks has changed politics, international agreements, foreign policy and marketing. And while they will continue to be defined and better understood over the next fourteen years, they will play an even more prolific role in organizational success.

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[1] Shirkey, Clay. “The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change.” Foreign Affairs. January/February 2011.

[2] Ciolek, Melanie, “Understanding Social Media’s Contribution to Public Diplomacy: How Embassy Jakarta’s Facebook Outreach Illuminates the Limitations and Potential for the State Department’s Use of Social Media,” URL: < http://mountainrunner.us/2010/06/ciolek.html>. June 17, 2010

[3] Ibid

[4] http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2007/id20071114_879795.htm

[5] http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/11/1115_in_network/index_01.htm

[6] Provan and Kenis. Modes of Network Governance: Structure, Management, and Effectiveness. JPART 18:244. 2005.