Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper reviews the literature on relationships of communication as well as communication network structures with organizational productivity. An hypothesis that flows from the literature is that higher network density is associated with higher productivity. We investigated associations between communication network structures and productivity in four vehicle assembly plants. Network analysis of communication about industrial materials use revealed that valued network density had an R2 of .97 with IM cost per unit produced. The highest productivity plants had IM network members communicating weekly or more often. We performed a triad census in each plant that also identified triad members so that we could propose a network rewiring intervention for three plants to change their networks to be similar to the highest productivity plant. The rewiring strategy is accurate, tractable, and reproducible.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Researchers interested in the effects of social network ties on behavior are increasingly turning to network autocorrelation models, which allow for the simultaneous computation of individual-level and network-level effects. In this paper we examine the extent to which the effects of network ties are contingent on the structure, in particular the density, of the network of which they are a part. There are reasons to believe that the size of the network effect will be independent of density, but there are also reasons to believe that there might be a systematic association between the two. We use computer simulations on randomly generated networks at various levels of density and with three different types of endogenous variables to examine whether an association exists between density and the size of the network effect. We find that the effect is either stable or slightly negative from low density levels up to a density of about .85. At densities above this point, the size of the network effect begins to sharply decline. We examine several alternative conditions to test for the robustness of this effect. There is some indication that the association between density and the network effect is curvilinear—strongly negative at both very low and very high levels of density and closer to zero at intermediate levels.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In this paper on the applicability of the network concept to global environmental governance, we intend to do two things. First, we want to discuss and integrate two different strands of network literature that so far have rarely been employed togethe

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: New title: The Role of Brokerage and Network Clientelism in Defusing Self-Determination Movements

This paper examines the forms of control used by the central Ukrainian government to defuse an autonomy movement in Transcarpathia, Ukraine, with an allusion to similar controls exerted to prevent separatism in Crimea. Transcarpathia is a remarkable example of government controls at work. After a December 1991 referendum in which 78 percent of the region approved a proposal for Transcarpathian autonomy, the issue disappeared from the political agenda within the space of a year. Rather than relying on a use of force, the Ukrainian central government exerted other kinds of controls on regional officials. Regional movements were defused via a brokerage mechanism, in which local officials beholden to the center by patronage utilized local resources to quiet voices demanding autonomy. The dynamics of the brokerage mechanism could be exercised within a particular network control structure. As outlined by recent work on empires in International Relations, a center can exert controls on a periphery through networks that require approval by the center – a hub-and-spoke isomorphic form. An examination of these center-periphery dynamics illustrates that actual control structures within a state may be far more important indicators of the ability to defuse separatist or autonomist movements than the structure of institutions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Research on the impact of social networks on the capacity building efforts of non-profit organizations is sparse. What research there is indicates that a stronger understanding of social networks of non-profit organizations (NPOs) could enhance the effectiveness of these efforts. The purpose of this study is use a social science methodology called Social Network Analysis (SNA) to assess the relationship between a non-profit organization’s network position and its capacity level. Our findings suggest that 1) the capacity of a NPO is strongly related to its network position as measured by degree; 2) all forms of relationship building positively influence an organizations capacity, including simply making other organizations aware of each other; and 3) there is a point of diminishing return where the time and effort spent on collaborative relationships does not have an equally important pay off in terms of capacity outcomes.