Final answer:
Members of sales and engineering departments interacting primarily within their respective groups exhibit 'closure within the departments and a structural hole between them,' representing tight internal connections and a gap between the groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
When members of the sales and engineering departments often interact with their peers rather than across groups, this phenomenon is best described as closure within the departments and a structural hole between them.
Closure denotes the tight-knit relationships and interactions within a department, where everyone is connected within that group.
Meanwhile, a structural hole refers to a gap in the social network where there are few or no connections between distinct groups, such as between the sales and engineering departments in a company.
This results in limited interactions and communications across the departments, which can potentially hinder collaboration and the flow of information.
In social network analysis, the scenario described where sales and engineering departments have members who interact with their peers rather than across groups is best described as c. a bridging relationship.
A bridging relationship refers to a connection or bridge that connects individuals or groups that are structurally unconnected but share similar interests or goals.
In this case, the members of the sales and engineering departments are forming a connection between their respective departments.