Dyadic Information Transfer: A Network Study of Organizational Information Spread

Previous research on diffusion networks has focused predominately on the final step in diffusion, adoption, rather than the primary phase of information acquisition. To explain the information spread, I propose a theory of information transfer based on the characteristics of the dyad and the characteristics of the sender. To understand information transfer, I examine the transmission of project information within a large corporation. I posit that diffusion patterns differ based on the relational embeddedness and characteristics of the sender. In an empirical analysis of the transfer of information shared between individuals within Enron between 1998-2003, I find that the probability that information will be transferred between sender and recipient is influenced by several factors: (1) the attributes of the relationship between the sender and recipient, (2) social structure surrounding the sender and the recipient, (3) and previous sharing behavior of the sender.