Modelling user participation in organisations as networks

User participation (UP) means activities that individuals perform for processes to develop systems or to act collectively and is an important factor for gaining user commitment and minimising user resistance. This is due to the ability of UP to shape the structure and behaviour of organisations through leveraged user expertise, minimised redundant processes and improved understanding of systems. Grounded on social network analysis and UP research, this article proposes a mathematical model for analysing UP in 'organisations as networks'. The model identifies concepts for characterising network structures for UP and introduces indicators for assessing the network behaviour of human participants within organisations. The article concludes by discussing implications for researchers and practitioners, and limitations of the proposed model. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.