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Knowledge of Lateral Relations in Organisations

Enrique de Miguel¹, Andrés Carrión², Blanca de Miguel¹ and José M. Carot²

Abstract

The importance of lateral relations in business has been stressed since the first texts on Management. The people running companies have not however had any simple and solid methods available to them for learning about these relations, which are far more numerous than vertical or hierarchical ones. The aim of this work is to examine a method, already verified in a large number of companies, which can be used to find out not only the existing lateral relations but also the hierarchical ones, which are often not as fluid as they should be. This knowledge enables correction of any problems arising in a network of relations characterised by the large number of these and being difficult to understand without a systematic method like the one proposed.

¹Polytechnic University of Valencia, Business Organisation Dept. Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.

²Polytechnic University of Valencia, Dept. of Applied Statistics, O.R. and Quality.
Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Tel. +34963877490. Fax. +34963877499.
acarrión@eio.upv.es

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