SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS IN ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES

Abstract

There has been an increasing interest in organization theory field towards network theory and methodology during the recent years. Academy of Management Review which is one of the most important journals in this field published a special issue concerning the organizational networks. Social embeddedness theory of Granovetter (1985) can be seen as a milestone for the widespread usage of social network methodology in the field of economics and management. Network research methodology has gained importance to measure the social capital of the organizations (Bordieu, 1983 and Coleman, 1988) for understanding institutional effects in an organizational field (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Galaskiewicz and Wasserman, 1989) and to map resource dependency relations between organizations (Pfefer and Salancik, 1978). Networks research methodology can also be used to determine some micro issues in organizations like coalition groups, cliques, social capital formation tendency of the actors. The purpose of this study is to provide information to the potential researchers about basic aspects of social network theory, usage areas in organizational research field, data collection, data entry, measurement items, data analysis and software tools for analyzing social networks.

Keywords

• Social network analysis, organizations, social capital

References

1. Baum, A.C. and Oliver, C. (1999), “Institutional Linkages and Organizational Mortality”,
2. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36: 187-218. Beckert, J. (2003), “Economic Sociology and Embeddedness: How Shall We Conceptualize
3. Economic Action?”, Journal of Economic Issues, 37 (3): 769-787. Belliveau, A. M.; O’Reilly, A.C. and Wade, B.J. (1996), “Social Capital at the Top: Effects of
4. Social Similarity and Status on CEO Compensation”, Academy of Management Journal, 39 (6): 1593.
5. Benta, M. (2003), AGNA 2.1., Social Network Analysis Software.
6. Bourdieu, P. (1983), “Forms of capital”, Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, 241-258.
7. Bueno, E.; Salmador, P.M. and Rodriguez, O. (2004), “The Role of Social Capital in Today’s
8. Economy”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5 (4): 556-574. Burns, R.L. and Wholey, D.R. (1993), “Adoption and Abondment of Matrix Management

9. Programs: Effects of Organizational Characteristics and Interorganizational Networks”, Academy of Management Journal, 36 (1): 106-139. Burt, S.R. (1992), Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition, Harvard University Press.
10. Burt, S.R. (1997), “The Contingent Value of Social Capital”, Administrative Science Quarterly, : 339-365.
11. Burt, S.R. (2004), “Structural Holes and Good Ideas”, American Journal of Sociology. 110 (2): 399.
12. Burt, S.R. (2005), Brokerage & Closure, New York, Oxford University Press.
13. Coleman, J.S. (1988), “Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital”, American Journal of Sociology; 94: 95-120.
14. Dhanaraj, C. and Parkhe, A. (2006), “Orchestrating Innovation Networks”, Academy of
15. Management Review, 31 (3): 659-669. DiMaggio, P. J. and Powell, W.W. (1983), “The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields”, American Sociological Review, 48: 147-160.
16. Dore, R.S. (1983), “Goodwill and the Sprit of Market Capitalism”, British Journal of Sociology, : 459-482.
17. Emirbayer, M. and Goodwin, J. (1994), “Network Analysis, Culture and the Problem of Agency”,
18. American Journal of Sociology, 99 (6): 1411-1454.
19. Galaskiewicz, J. and Wasserman, S. (1989), “Mimetic and Normative Processes within an
20. Interorganizational Field: An Empirical Test. Administrative Science Quarterly, 34: 454-479. Gargiulo, M. and Benassi, M. (2000), “Traped in Your Own Net? Network Cohesion, Structural
21. Holes, and the Adaptation of Social Capital”, Organization Science, 11 (2): 183-196. Gnyawali, D.R. and Madhavan, R. (2001). “Cooperative Networks and Competitive Dynamics: A
22. Structural Embeddedness Perspective”, Academy of Management Review, 26 (3): 431-445. Granovetter, M. (1973), “Strength of Weak Ties”, American Journal of Sociology, 78: 1360-1380.
23. Granovetter, M. (1985), “Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness”,
24. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3): 481-510. Granovetter, M. (1992), “Economic Institutions as Social Constructions: A Framework for
25. Analysis”, Acta Sociologica, 35 (3): 3-11. Gulati, R. and Gargulio, M. (1999), “Where do Interorganizational Networks Come from?”, The American Journal of Sociology, 104 (5): 1439-1493.
26. Hammond, C.S. and Glenn, M.L. (2004), “The Ancient Practice of Chinese Social Networking:
27. Guanxi and Social Network Theory. Emergence, 6 (1-2): 24-31. Hanneman, R.A. (2001), Introduction to Social Network Methods. Riverside C.A.: University of California.
28. Hanneman, R. A. and Riddle, M. (2005), Introduction to Social Network Methods, Riverside, CA:
29. University of California, Riverside. Holland, J. (1995), How Adaptation Builds Complexity: Hidden Order, Perseus Books,
30. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jablin, F.M. and Putnam, L.J. (2001), The New Handbook of Organizational Communication :
31. Advances in Theory, Research and Methods, Sage Pub. Koka, R.B.; Madhavan,R. and Prescott, J.E. (2006), “The Evolution of Interfirm Networks:
32. Environmental Effects on Patterns of Network Change”, Academy of Management Review, 31(3): 737. Kostova, T. and Roth, K. (2003), “Social Capital in Multinational Corporations and a Micro
33. Macro Model of its Formation”, Academy of Management Review, 29(2): 297-317. Kraatz, M.S. (1998.), “Learning by Association? Interorganizational Networks and Adaptation to
34. Environmental Change”, Academy of Management Journal, 41(6): 621-643. Krippner, G.; Granoveter, M.; Block, F.; Biggart, N.; Beamish, T.; Hsing, Y.; Hart, G.; Arrighi, G.; Mendell, M.; Hall, J.; Burawoy, M.; Vogel, S. and O’Riain, S. (2004), “Polanyi Symposium: A
35. Conversation on Embeddedness”, Socio-Economic Review, 2: 109-135. Leana, R. C. and Buren, V.H.J. (1999), “Organizational Social Capital and Employment
36. Practices”, Academy of Management Review, 24 (3): 538-555. Leblebici, H.; Salancik, G.R.; Copay, A. and King, T. (1991), “Institutional Change and the Transformation of Interorganizational Fields: An Organizational History of Radiocasting
37. Industry”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 36 (3): 333-364. Monge, R.P and Contractor, S.N. (2001), The New Handbook of Organizational Communication :
38. Advances in Theory, Research and Methods, Sage Pub. Oliver, C. (1990), “Determinants of Interorganizational Relationships: Integration and Future
39. Directions”, Academy of Management Review, 15 (2): 241-265. Parkhe, A.; Wasserman, S. and Ralston, A.D. (2006), “New Frontiers in Network Development”,
40. Academy of Management Review, 31 (3): 560-568. Paxton, P. (1999), “Is Social Capital Declining in the United States? A Multiple Indicator
41. Assessment”, American Journal of Sociology, 105 (1): 88-127. Pfeffer, J. & Salancik, G.R. (1978), The External Control of Organizations: A resource
42. Dependence Perspective. New York: Harper & Row. Podolny, J.M. (2001), “Networks as the Pipes and Prisms of the Market”, The American Journal of Sociology, 107 (1): 33-60.
43. Polanyi, K. (1992), “The Economy as an Instituted Process”, Granovetter, M. (edited by). The Sociology of Economic Life, New York: Westview Press.
44. Rodrigues, J. (2004), “Endogeneous Preferences and Embeddedness: A Reappraisal of Karl
45. Polanyi”, Journal of Economic Issues, 38 (1): 189-200. Van De Ven, H.A. (1976), “On the Nature, Formation and Maintenance of Relations Among
46. Organizations”, Academy of Management Review, 1 (4): 24-36. Whiteman, G. and Cooper, H.W. (2000), “Ecological Embeddedness”, Academy of Management Journal, 43 (6): 1265-1282.
47. Rao, H.; Davis, F.G. and Ward, A. (2001), “Embeddedness, Social Identity and Mobility: Why
48. Firms Leave the NASDAQ and Join the New York Stock Exchange”. Administrative Science Quarterly, 45 (2): 268-292. Sözen, C.H. (2007), Interorganizational Networks in Durable Home Appliances Sector,
49. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Swedberg, R. and Granovetter, R. (1992), The Sociology of Economic Life. Prentice Hall,
50. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Tsai, W. and Ghosal, S. (1998), “Social Capital and Value Creation: The Role of Interfirm
51. Networks”, Academy of Management Journal, 41 (4): 454-476. Uzzi, B. (1996), “The Sources and Consequences of Embeddedness for the Economic Performance of Organizations: The Network Effect”, American Sociological Review, 61 (4):674-698.
52. Uzzi, B. (1999), “Embeddedness in the Making of Financial Capital: How Social Relations and Networks Benefit Firms Seeking Financing”, American Sociological Review, 481-505.
53. Uzzi, B. and Lanchester, R. (2004), “Embeddedness and Price Formation in theCorporate Law
54. Market”, American Sociological Review, 69: 319-344.