Productivity effects of information diffusion in e-mail networks

We examine the diffusion of different types of information through email networks and the effects of these diffusion patterns on the performance of information workers. In particular, we ask: What predicts the likelihood of individuals becoming aware of a new piece of information, and how quickly they obtain it? Do different types of information exhibit different diffusion patterns, and do different characteristics of social structure, relationships and individuals in turn affect access to different kinds of information? Does better access to information in turn predict an individual’s ability to complete projects or generate revenue? We characterize the social network of a medium sized executive recruiting firm using accounting data on project co-work relationships and ten months of email traffic. We identify two distinct types of information diffusing over this network – ‘event news ’ and ‘discussion topics ’ – by their usage characteristics, and observe severa