The special communicator and his behavior in research orpanizations: A key to the management of informal technical information flow

The R&D manager is responsible for the management of the technical information flow into and within his organization. Complicating his management task is the fact that a large amount of such information flows in informal, unplanned networks. Playing key roles in these informal information networks are a few special communicators (1) who act as information focal points, (2) who seem to have special access to information sources, and (3) who are involved in a relatively large number of information transactions. It may be possible for the R&D manager to influence informal networks in a positive way be identifying special communicators, by further enhancing their exposure to information, and by giving them special consideration in the allocation of information-related resources.