Some people think social networks waste time. But three engineering management and systems engineering researchers at Missouri S&T think those networks could improve project management and help spread specialized knowledge in the health care sector and other large organizations.

Steven Corns, Elizabeth Cudney, PhD EMgt’06, and Suzanna Long, Hist’84, Phys’84, MS EMgt’04, PhD EMgt’07, say that creating a specialized web-based knowledge management system or KMS can help large organizations capture, retain and communicate project results and staff knowledge. These systems can also prevent knowledge drain and provide training as “lessons learned” after specific occurrences and the resolution of staff problems.

In a recent International Journal of Collaborative Enterprise article, the three examined a process for creating a social network to improve information-and knowledge-sharing for a large health care organization.

Their next step is to create an actual internal social network specific to the group they’re working with and to implement recommendations for using it to share information.