From atomism to networks in social systems

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to focus on the role of networks in organizations as a critical aspect of knowledge management and learning processes. Design/methodology/approach – The article has built on an established technique, namely SNA, by shifting from individuals to identities and then to abstractions. Findings – By making the shifts identified above, a solid and tool‐rich body of research is used as a base on which to build, but in effect the focus is on using the network intelligence rather than assemblies of atomistic individual intelligences: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, but only if one understands it as a whole. Originality/value – The article has focused on problem resolution, but the technique also shows potential as a generic innovation tool, and as a possible model to create an alternative mechanism for the distribution of funding within organizations including governments.