Network measures and simulation for knowledge intensive work performance

We describe the process of designing a reliable and valid instrument for collecting network and attribute data. Here, we explore the relationship between social networks structure, information and communication technologies (ICT) use and attitude towards performance in knowledge intensive work. We first develop a model for exploring the inherent relationship between the three concepts based on existing literature. We then develop appropriate item sets for measuring different independent (network structure, ICT use) and dependent variables (performance). We use the reliable item sets along with justifications to construct different phases of our instrument. In doing so, we introduce a simulation approach where we generate synthetic dataset for performing this analysis. In conclusion, we highlight the strengths of using a simulation approach for instrument testing and validation prior to real empirical data collection. We provide some descriptive statistics to demonstrate preliminary exploration of the relationship between different independent variables and dependent variables.