High-value, collaborative networks

Networks that generate collaboration and innovative ideas on a regular basis are characterized in this paper as high-value, collaborative networks. The initiation and development of these networks outside of the confines of a formal organization is analyzed in the context of the Engineering Project Organization Society (EPOS). The society, initiated by Professor Raymond Levitt, has existed for 15 years and continues to grow while retaining a core group of founding members. We conducted and analyzed interviews with society members to develop a framework that describes how individuals can form a core with sufficient pull to enable a network to form, stabilize and grow. The framework provides a perspective on how networks sustain through its individual members, the environment in which the network exists, and the rewards individuals obtain from being part of the network. Each of these elements by itself is insufficient to develop network stability; rather, it is the combination of a stable network core and continuous reinforcement of value from the network that serves to preserve and expand network membership. The development of the framework will benefit both academic and professional contexts by highlighting the key elements required to introduce and sustain a dynamic knowledge network.