Advances in Research

Waste banks offer a novel approach to waste management in developing nations, yet they encounter significant operational hurdles, particularly concerning internal communication among members. This research endeavors to map the communication networks within Waste Bank Units (WBU) to foster their sustainability and productivity. The study identifies key influencers within WBUs and assesses the density of their network structures. Conducted in Makassar City, Indonesia, the research involved 185 participants across three WBUs and employed social network analysis for data interpretation. The results of the analysis show that the network density values produced by the three WBUs fall into the low network density criteria. Key findings indicate that out of 45 WBUs examined in Makassar, three demonstrated superior performance: WBU-LB, WBU-As, and WBU-SR. Further analysis revealed that WBU-SR exhibits a denser communication network compared to WBU-As and WBU-LB. A notable pattern across all studied WBUs is the presence of a single dominant actor within each network, which correlates with lower overall network density, as evidenced by sociograms and centrality analyses. This finding suggests that information is centralized around a single actor, leading to a reliance on that actor for information, operations, and resources. This could leave the WBU in a precarious position in the event of a crisis. The dominance of a single actor in the WBU prompts several recommendations: identify the dominant actor’s traits and develop new leaders through training; encourage collaboration among smaller groups for better information flow and innovation; and ensure support from all stakeholders to sustain WBU performance.