Networked Organisations

Our society is constructed of networks of people, systems and organisation with a diversity of roles, responsibilities, influences and information. This can be seen in the multidisciplinary cooperation among the emergency services and public and private parties during crisis and disaster management situations or between Defence, Foreign Affairs and development cooperation organisations during missions, and also in the dependency between vital infrastructures. On the one hand, networks give operational actions and society the strength and cohesion they require. On the other hand, the same networks can make the operational actions and society vulnerable since the dependencies within and between networks may cause disruption, failure or malice in parts of the network, with significant consequences.

From analysis to implementation

The Networked Organisations expertise group focuses on understanding and improving networks – in particular, the networks that are crucial to the safety and quality of life of our society. We have knowledge of the cohesion of people, organisation, processes and technology in complex organisations, and how multidisciplinary network organisations function. We study how information disseminates through networks, and how decisions are arrived at. We investigate risks and vulnerabilities, created by dependencies within networks and apply this knowledge to making improvements based on scientific and empirical findings. This knowledge enables us to innovate and help the implementation of innovations in various domains like urban safety, security of vital infrastructure, crisis management, intelligence and national safety. This way we gradually enable a better networking society.

Expertise

The Networked Organisations expertise group specialises in:

• Analysis
  We have fundamental knowledge of networked organisations and chains. Key aspects are:
  • Coordination, autonomy and collaboration
  • Information management
  • Situation and collaboration awareness
  • Complex adaptive systems
  • Risk management
• Application
  Innovation is an iterative process in which concept development alternates with experiments. We design innovation programmes, facilitate group sessions and organise simulations mainly for organisations that operate in complex environments or are themselves complex by nature. The department works closely with the other departments within TNO.
• Implementation
  We support customers in organisational change, working closely with the stakeholders to shape changes such that they produce a better operating network or organisation.

Networked operation is not only our field of work, it is also in our nature.