Application of Social Network Analysis and Mintzberg Classification to Assess the Imbalances in Organizational Structure: Case of Kazakhstan Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources

The study aims to demonstrate the potential of the network analysis method for preparing an organization for the transformation or modernization of the management system. As an object of analysis, a state body (the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan) was chosen, which carries out activities in several critical areas of state policy and has a complex multi-level management system. The paper demonstrates the main approaches to quantitative assessment and comparative analysis of key management blocks following the organizational classification developed by Mintzberg. The scientific novelty lies in combining analytical methods and data-mining for quantitative characteristics of several networks within a control system. The applied significance lies in the applicability of the tools to organizations of any level and scale of activity to identify problem areas and the potential for optimizing the organizational structure and management processes. Since effective organizational networks can quickly adapt to changes and be reconfigured without significantly affecting performance, the social network analysis (SNA) method allows organizations to implement transformational efforts more effectively.