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36
The Network Structure of Social Capital
- RESEARCH IN ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (VOL
, 2000
"... This is a review of argument and evidence on the connection between social networks and social capital. My summary points are three: (1) Research and theory will better cumulate across studies if we focus on the network mechanisms responsible for social capital effects rather than trying to integrat ..."
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This is a review of argument and evidence on the connection between social networks and social capital. My summary points are three: (1) Research and theory will better cumulate across studies if we focus on the network mechanisms responsible for social capital effects rather than trying to integrate across metaphors of social capital loosely tied to distant empirical indicators. (2) There is an impressive diversity of empirical evidence showing that social capital is more a function of brokerage across structural holes than closure within a network, but there are contingency factors. (3) The two leading network mechanisms can be brought together in a productive way within a more general model of social capital Structural holes are the source of value added, but network closure can be essential to realizing the value buried in the holes.
Influentials, Networks, and Public Opinion Formation
- JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH
, 2007
"... A central idea in marketing and diffusion research is that influentials—a minority of individuals who influence an exceptional number of their peers—are important to the formation of public opinion. Here we examine this idea, which we call the “influentials hypothesis,” using a series of computer si ..."
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Cited by 143 (0 self)
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A central idea in marketing and diffusion research is that influentials—a minority of individuals who influence an exceptional number of their peers—are important to the formation of public opinion. Here we examine this idea, which we call the “influentials hypothesis,” using a series of computer simulations of interpersonal influence processes. Under most conditions that we consider, we find that large cascades of influence are driven not by influentials, but by a critical mass of easily influenced individuals. Although our results do not exclude the possibility that influentials can be important, they suggest that the influentials hypothesis requires more careful specification and testing than it has received.
community psychology perspectives on Social capital theory and community development practice
- Journal of the Community Development Society
, 2002
"... Concepts and research from community psychology can inform community development practice by reframing social capital theory. Social capital (SC) is generally defined and measured at the interpersonal, community, institutional, or societal levels in terms of networks (bridging) and norms of reciproc ..."
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Cited by 18 (8 self)
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Concepts and research from community psychology can inform community development practice by reframing social capital theory. Social capital (SC) is generally defined and measured at the interpersonal, community, institutional, or societal levels in terms of networks (bridging) and norms of reciprocity and trust (bonding) within those networks. SC should be analyzed in a multi-level ecological framework in terms of both individual psychological and behavioral conceptions (sense of community, collective efficacy—or empowerment, neighboring, and citizen participation) and institutional and community network-level conceptions. Excessive concern for social cohesion undermines the ability to confront or engage in necessary conflict, and thus, it dis-empowers the community. Instead of emphasizing social cohesion, “network-bridging ” opportunities to increase power, access, and learning should be emphasized. Institutional and community network analysis shows how SC operates at those levels and where to target service resources and develop mediating structures. Psychological and behavioral factors point to factors that motivate individuals
Boltzmann and Fokker-Planck equations modelling opinion formation in the presence of strong leaders
- Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science
"... We propose a mathematical model for opinion formation in a society which is built of two groups, one group of ‘ordinary ’ people and one group of ‘strong opinion lead-ers’. Our approach is based on an opinion formation model introduced in Toscani (2006) and borrows ideas from the kinetic theory of m ..."
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Cited by 18 (0 self)
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We propose a mathematical model for opinion formation in a society which is built of two groups, one group of ‘ordinary ’ people and one group of ‘strong opinion lead-ers’. Our approach is based on an opinion formation model introduced in Toscani (2006) and borrows ideas from the kinetic theory of mixtures of rarefied gases. Starting from microscopic interactions among individuals, we arrive at a macro-scopic description of the opinion formation process which is characterized by a system of Fokker-Planck type equations. We discuss the steady states of this sys-tem, extend it to incorporate emergence and decline of opinion leaders, and present numerical results.
Reputation in self-organized communication systems and beyond
- In Interperf ’06: Proceedings
, 2006
"... Efficiently handling reputation is important in dealing with free-riding, malicious attacks and random failures in selforganized communication systems. At the same time, work in this context is often found to be relevant in many other disciplines, in particular the social sciences. A number of distr ..."
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Cited by 13 (1 self)
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Efficiently handling reputation is important in dealing with free-riding, malicious attacks and random failures in selforganized communication systems. At the same time, work in this context is often found to be relevant in many other disciplines, in particular the social sciences. A number of distributed reputation systems have been proposed and analyzed, although research has not been very coherent. In this paper, for the first time, we provide an overview of the stateof-the-art in the various computer science communities as well as the social sciences. In particular, we present results obtained from our mathematical model devised to investigate the impact of liars on their peers ’ reputation about a subject. We find that liars have no impact unless their number exceeds a certain threshold (phase transition). We give precise formulae and quantify the impact, thereby providing insight into fundamental questions in social networks as well as facilitating performance evaluation and optimization of distributed reputation systems in communication networks. We conclude by suggesting fundamental directions for future research into reputation. Categories and Subject Descriptors C.2.1 [Computer-communication networks]: Network architecture and design—Distributed networks; D.2.4 [Computer-communication networks]: Distributed systems—
The impact of liars on reputation in social networks
- In Proceedings of Social Network Analysis: Advances and Empirical Applications Forum
, 2005
"... In this paper we consider a closed social network with a certain proportion of liars who are trying to influence their peers ’ reputation about some subject. Each person’s reputation about this subject is based on both own direct experience and second hand information from their peers which cannot b ..."
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Cited by 12 (6 self)
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In this paper we consider a closed social network with a certain proportion of liars who are trying to influence their peers ’ reputation about some subject. Each person’s reputation about this subject is based on both own direct experience and second hand information from their peers which cannot be verified. Given certain assumptions on when people believe or do not believe second hand information, we investigate the liars ’ impact on their peers ’ reputation about the subject. We present a mathematical model for this situation and show that there is a threshold proportion of liars below which they have no impact. Above it, liars do have an impact. We quantify this impact and give the threshold proportions. We compare our results in two fundamentally different scenarios: In the first one, reputation is passed on as second hand information. In the second one, direct experience only is passed on as second hand information. We find that in the latter scenario liars have less impact.
The Engagement Model of Opinion Leadership: Testing Validity within a European Context
- International Journal of Public Opinion Research
, 2006
"... Explicating and measuring opinion leadership continues to be an important theoretical topic, as personal influence and interpersonal discussion are widely recognized as shap-ing public opinion and political behavior. However, the concept of opinion leadership arose out of empirical research conducte ..."
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Cited by 8 (0 self)
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Explicating and measuring opinion leadership continues to be an important theoretical topic, as personal influence and interpersonal discussion are widely recognized as shap-ing public opinion and political behavior. However, the concept of opinion leadership arose out of empirical research conducted primarily within the USA. Whether it may be applied to other national contexts remains to be fully explicated. Furthermore, media information-seeking behaviors of opinion leaders, such as newspaper use or television exposure, seem to be culturally contingent based upon the scant cross-national research to date. This paper examines the ecological and constructive validity of the engagement model of the opinion leadership developed within the USA. Employing the European Social Survey, I apply this model to fifteen European nations to assess its validity and explore how media information-seeking behaviors of opinion leaders may vary across national contexts. The findings suggest that the model may be most valid in Western European nations. Furthermore, the media use and behaviors of opinion leaders vary greatly across nations in Europe, though levels of interpersonal political discussion and specific individual socio-psychological traits do not. Opinion leadership has been examined with a range of conceptualizations and measurements ever since Lazarfeld and his colleagues (1944) introduced the con-cept sixty years ago. Explicating and measuring opinion leadership continues to be an important theoretical topic, as personal influence and interpersonal discus-sion are widely recognized as shaping public opinion, political behavior, and idea
DISENTANGLING THE INFLUENCES OF LEADERS’ RELATIONAL EMBEDDEDNESS ON INTERORGANIZATIONAL EXCHANGE
"... Drawing on the concept of relational embeddedness and the associated mechanisms of mutual understanding, trust, and commitment, we examine how leaders ’ prior exchange experiences influence the likelihood of subsequent interorganizational exchange. We begin to develop a microlevel model of organizat ..."
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Cited by 6 (1 self)
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Drawing on the concept of relational embeddedness and the associated mechanisms of mutual understanding, trust, and commitment, we examine how leaders ’ prior exchange experiences influence the likelihood of subsequent interorganizational exchange. We begin to develop a microlevel model of organization-level relations that accounts for nodal multiplexity. In data on baseball player trades, we found that individual leaders ’ ties affected exchanges less than did an organization’s other ties. The sharing of exchange experiences by organizations and their current leaders increased the influences of those experiences on exchange behavior. Thus, leaders have more influence within their organizational contexts than in isolation. For their helpful advice on this project, we thank
Organizational change in a perinatal treatment setting: Integration of clinical practice and policies on tobacco and smoking cessation
- Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
, 2007
"... Abstract-Perinatal smoking presents serious health risks to the fetus, mother, and child. Despite extensive evidence of risk and high rates of smoking among in-treatment perinatal women substance abusers, tobacco-related practice and policy change has not been widely transferred for application in ..."
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Cited by 1 (0 self)
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Abstract-Perinatal smoking presents serious health risks to the fetus, mother, and child. Despite extensive evidence of risk and high rates of smoking among in-treatment perinatal women substance abusers, tobacco-related practice and policy change has not been widely transferred for application in drug abuse treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women. This qualitative study investigated the process of change and the resultant adoption of clinical policy and treatment innovation in a residential drug abuse treatment program that converted from tobacco-tolerant to tobacco-free with provision of smoking cessation services. Informed by the Organizational Readiness for Change Model, staff interviews and data analysis were conducted to examine program characteristics affecting adoption. An organizational climate of openness to change and the program's clarity of mission, expressed in perinatal-specific motivators for change, influenced the adoption of tobacco-related clinical practice and policy. Re-allocation of time, previously occupied by smoking behaviors, allowed for added promotion of maternal-child interaction and positive role-modeling for children.
Opinion Leadership: Non-Work-Related Advice in a Work Setting
- Journal of Economic Commerce Research
, 2009
"... ABSTRACT Opinion leaders influence the decisions of others and play a significant role in disseminating information, specifically in the domain of e-commerce. Prior studies exploring the factors that affect a person"s ability to influence others have been conducted in either a work setting [i. ..."
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ABSTRACT Opinion leaders influence the decisions of others and play a significant role in disseminating information, specifically in the domain of e-commerce. Prior studies exploring the factors that affect a person"s ability to influence others have been conducted in either a work setting [i.e. advice networks] or leisure setting (e.g. movie recommendation). However, it is common for these networks to interweave, for instance when a person asks for advice from work colleagues on a personal issue, like the purchase of a car. This suggests that there is a need to differentiate between the antecedents of opinion leadership that stem from one"s position in the professional network and the antecedents that stem from personal characteristics associated with the specific non-work related advice [e.g. expertise in cars]. To explore how opinion leadership is determined in such multifaceted settings, we develop a theoretical framework of opinion leadership. The results from an empirical study of a movie advice task that was conducted in a professional setting, demonstrate that both movie-related trustworthiness and work-related centrality exert distinct effects on one's ability to influence others opinions regarding movies. Implications for theory and practice of e-commerce are discussed.
