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Furthermore, it is not at all clear that the “official”…

“Furthermore, it is not at all clear that the “official” organizational charts of companies represents the actuality of what the real operational network structures are. Who is really communicating with whom, how often are they doing it, how much do they exchange, and so on? What is really needed…” quote by Geoffrey West
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““Furthermore, it is not at all clear that the “official” organizational charts of companies represents the actuality of what the real operational network structures are. Who is really communicating with whom, how often are they doing it, how much do they exchange, and so on? What is really needed is access to all of the company’s communication channels, such as the phone calls, the e-mails, the meetings, et cetera, quantified analogously to the cell phone data we used for helping to develop a science of cities.””

Geoffrey West

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Organizational charts often hide true communication patterns; real networks need comprehensive data like city phone‑call analytics.

In simple terms: Charts don’t show real communication.

Key Takeaway

Collect full communication data.

Themes

organization network information analysis

Mood

analytical critical

Type

academic professional

When to use this quote

  • corporate management
  • urban planning
  • communication audits

Key Concepts

social network theory data analytics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can companies balance transparency with privacy?
  • What tools best map informal networks?
A Different Perspective

Data collection raises privacy concerns.

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