Sara Galehbakhtiari

April 5, 2024, by aczht

Collaborative research into connectivity with leading law firm Browne Jacobson

Dr Sara Galehbakhtiari, Assistant Professor in Marketing at Nottingham University Business School, gives an insight into research in connectedness:

In the ever-evolving landscape of communication networks within organisations, and as hybrid working blurs the lines between personal and professional life, the ability to effectively foster connectedness has become crucial for success.

Understanding employees’ connectedness helps us to understand how it is central to, and boosts, collaboration and productivity.

Dr Samuel Ogundipe

Dr Samuel Ogundipe

Dr Sara Galehbakhtiari, Assistant Professor in Marketing at Nottingham University Business School, led this new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded project with leading law firm Browne Jacobson to highlight and evaluate the communication lines between the law firm’s lawyers. The project also benefited significantly from the invaluable contributions of Dr Samuel Ogundipe, Assistant Professor in Marketing at Nottingham University Business School who played a key role in collecting and analysing data.

The project aimed to identify how the lawyers’ connectedness is represented by their social media activity.

Browne Jacobson employs over 1000 people, working in partnership with big businesses, funders, and SMEs, to provide top-tier advice to support the health, education, and broader Government sectors. As a national firm, Browne Jacobson has offices in the major cities of Birmingham, Exeter, London, Manchester, and Nottingham.

Our team of researchers used social media data spanning six and a half years, including 7377 tweets (posts on X, formerly known as Twitter), 747 press releases and over 30 relevant YouTube videos to identify the company’s communication networks. They also used focus groups to distinguish between the informal and formal routes of communication between parts of the company.

Dr Galehbakhtiari sought to use this data to highlight dense and less dense intra-organisational connections, which can serve as an agent to allow a deeper understanding of communication patterns.

We extend our gratitude for the consistent and invaluable support Browne Jacobson has provided during this project. We look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership and accomplishing greater milestones together.

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