Informal social networks within and between organisations: On the properties of interpersonal ties and trust

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying relational properties of security networks by focusing specifically on the relationship between formal and informal ties, and interpersonal and inter-organisational trust.Design/methodology/approach– The research is based on 20 qualitative interviews with senior members of police and security agencies across the field of counter-terrorism in Australia.Findings– The findings suggest that the underlying relational properties of security networks are highly complex, making it difficult to distinguish between formal and informal ties, interpersonal and inter-organisational trust. The findings also address the importance of informal ties and interpersonal trust for the functioning of organisational security networks.Research limitations/implications– The research is exploratory in nature and extends to a number of organisational security networks in the field of counter-terrorism in Australia. While it is anticipated that the findings will be relevant in a variety of contexts, further research is required to advance our knowledge of the implications and properties of informal social networks within defined network boundaries.Practical implications– The findings suggest that the functioning of security networks is likely to be highly dependent on the underlying social relationships between network members. This has practical implications for those responsible for designing and managing security networks.Originality/value– The paper calls attention to a very understudied topic by focusing on the dynamics of informal ties and interpersonal trust within organisational security networks.