Fall 2006 Schedule

 

Legend

Assignments are due on the day they are listed (except for the very first class -- those readings should be read immediately after class). All items subject to change without notice. Please check the schedule frequently. Before printing articles, try reading them online. Is all that ink and toner really necessary?

Please note that all handouts are required reading, in addition to the articles and books listed in the "readings" sections. Most of the links for journal articles require you to be logged in via your BC or BU id in order to recognize you as legitimate members of the community.

New slides are typically posted about a week after the class in which they were shown. Prior to the class you will see old slides that may or may not give you a good idea of what will be covered..

Shortcuts

Sep-06  Introduction
Sep-13  Network Data
Sep-20  Foundations
Sep-27  Cohesion
Oct-04  Subgroups
Oct-11  Centrality
Oct-18  Structural Equivalence
Oct-25  Ego Networks
Nov-01  Testing Hypotheses
Nov-08  **Cancelled**
Nov-15  Leadership & Effectiveness
Nov-22  Thanksgiving
Nov-29  Software issues
Dec-06  Knowledge
Dec-13  Network Paradigm
Dec-16  Term paper due

 

September 6

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL NETWORKS
Topics
  • This course
  • Overview of field
  • What is unique about network research

Readings

  • Wasserman and Faust, ch. 1

  • Borgatti, S.P. What is social network analysis? [html][handout]

  • Borgatti, S.P. and Foster, P. 2003. The network paradigm in organizational research:  A review and typology. Journal of Management. 29(6): 991-1013 [pdf]

Recommended
Lab
Slides
Outline

 

September 13

SOCIAL NETWORK DATA
Topics
  • Collecting network survey data
  • Selected research design issues (need a whole course for that)
  • Data input formats
Readings

Class

  • Wasserman and Faust, ch. 2

  • Borgatti, S.P. Data collection for complete networks. [html][handout]

  • Borgatti, S.P. and Molina, J.L. 2005. Toward ethical guidelines for network research in organizations. Social Networks. 27(2): 107-117 [pdf]

  • Borgatti, S.P. and Molina, J-L. 2003. Ethical and strategic issues in organizational network analysis. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 39(3): 337-350. [pdf]

  • Freeman, L.C., Romney, A.K., & Freeman, S. 1987. Cognitive structure and informant accuracy. American Anthropologist 89:310-325 [pdf link]

  • Krackhardt, D. 1987. Cognitive social structures. Social Networks 9:109-134 [pdf]

  • Marsden, P.V. 1990. Network data and measurement. Annual Review of Sociology 16:435-63. [pdf link]

Lab
Recommended
Readings
  • Bernard, H.R., Killworth, P. & Sailer, L. 1981. Summary of research on informant accuracy in network data, and on the reverse small world problem. Connections 4(2):11-25 [pdf of whole issue]
  • Brewer and Webster. 1999. Forgetting of friends and its effects on measuring friendship networks. Social Networks 21: 361-373.
Lab Exercises
Slides

 

September 20

TECHNICAL FOUNDATIONS
Topics
  • Elementary graph theory
Reading
Supplementary
Reading
  • Lincoln, J.R. 1982. Intra (and inter-) organizational networks. Research in the sociology of organizations 1:1-38.
Slides
Lab Reading:
  • McGrath, Blythe and Krackhardt, 1997 "The effect of spatial arrangement on judgements and errors in interpreting graphs”. Social Networks 19:223-242. http://www.analytictech.com/borgatti/mcgrath.pdf
  • Freeman 1999 Visualizing social networks. Journal of Social Structure [html]
  • Borgatti, S.P. MDS. [html]

Exercises:

 

September 27

COHESION
Topics
  • Relational cohesion
  • Group cohesion
  • Embeddedness
Readings
  • Wasserman and Faust, ch. 3, 4, 6, 7
  • Leavitt, H.1951  Some effects of certain communication patterns on group performance. [pdf]
  • Borgatti, S.P. 2006. Identifying sets of key players in a network. Computational, Mathematical and Organizational Theory. 12(1): 21-34 [pdf]
  • Borgatti, S.P. and DeJordy, R. 2007.
  • Uzzi, 1996.The sources and consequences of embeddedness... American Sociological Review. [PDF] 
Recommended
Readings
Presentation
Lab Reading
  • Feld, SL (1997). Structural embeddedness and stability of interpersonal. Social Networks, 19, 91-95 [^pdf]

Exercises

 

October 4

COHESIVE SUBGROUPS
Topics
  • Detecting cliques and other cohesive subgroups
  • Cluster analysis
Format
  • Class to be led by Rich DeJordy
Readings
  • Wasserman and Faust, ch. 7.
  • Borgatti, S.P. Some notes on cohesive subgroups. [html]
  • Borgatti, S.P. How to explain hierarchical clustering. [html][handout]
  • Everett, M. G. and Borgatti, S. P. 1998. Analyzing clique overlap. Connections, 21(1): 49-61.[html].
  • Borgatti, S. P., Everett, M. G., & Shirey, P. 1990. LS sets, lambda sets and other cohesive subsets. Social Networks, 12: 337-357.  [pdf]

  • Borgatti, S.P. and Everett , M.G. 1999. Models of Core/Periphery Structures. Social Networks 21: 375-395. [PDF]

Additional
Readings
Slides
Lab Readings:

Exercises:

 

October 11 - Class begins at 2pm today

CENTRALITY
Topics:
  • Concepts and measures of node centrality in networks
Lab
Exercises:
Reading:

  • Borgatti, S.P. and Everett, M.G. 2006. A graph-theoretic perspective on centrality. [pdf].

  • Borgatti, S.P., Carley, K., and Krackhardt, D. 2006. Robustness of Centrality Measures under Conditions of Imperfect Data. Social Networks 28: 124–136. [pdf]

  • Borgatti, S.P. 2005. Centrality and network flow. Social Networks. 27(1): 55-71. [pdf]

  • http://www.analytictech.com/networks/centaids.htm
Recommended:
Presentations:

 

October 18

STRUCTURAL EQUIVALENCE
Topics
Readings

  • Everett, M.G. Position. Unpublished manuscript [doc]

  • Borgatti, S.P. Lecture notes on structural equivalence. [htm]

  • Borgatti, S. P., & Everett, M. G. 1992. Notions of position in social network analysis. Sociological Methodology, 22: 1-35.  [pdf]
Recommended
Readings		 Textbook
  • Wasserman and Faust, ch. 9, 10, 12

Foundational

  • Lorrain, F. & White, H.C. 1971. Structural equivalence of individuals in social networks. Journal of Mathematical Sociology 1: 49-80.  [skim only]
  • Burt, R.S. 1976. Positions in networks. Social Forces 55: 93-122.

Applications

  • DiMaggio, P. 1986. Structural analysis of organizational fields: A blockmodel approach. Research in Organizational Behavior 8: 335-70. Walker, G. 1985. Network position and cognition in a computer firm. Administrative Science Quarterly 30: 103-130.
  • Galaskiewicz, J. & Burt, R.S. 1991. Interorganizational contagion in corporate philanthropy. Administrative Science Quarterly 36: 88-105.
  • Krackhardt, D. & Porter, L. 1986. The snowball effect: Turnover embedded in communication networks. Journal of Applied Psychology 71: 50-55. [pdf]

Methodological

  • Breiger, R., Boorman, S. & Arabie, P. 1975. An algorithm for clustering relational data with applications to social network analysis and comparison with multidimensional scaling. Journal of Mathematical Psychology 12: 328-383.

Conceptual

  • Erickson, B. 1988. The relational basis of attitudes. In Wellman, B. & Berkowitz, S.D. (Eds.) Social Structures: A social network approach. Pp. 99-121. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Burt, R.S. & Talmud, I. 1993. Market niche. Social Networks. 15: 133-149.

Advanced

  • Borgatti, S.P. Notes on the notion of role. [htm]

  • Everett, M.G., & Borgatti, S. P. 1994. Regular equivalence: General theory. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 19(1): 29-52. [pdf]]
Lab
Slides

 

October 25

EGO NETWORKS
Topics
  • Analyzing Ego Networks
  • Brokerage & social capital
Exercises
Slides
Readings
  • Burt, R. The social structure of social capital. [pdf]
  • Lin, N. Building a network theory of social capital. [html]
  • Krackhardt, D. & Stern, R.1988. Informal networks and organizational crises. Social Psychology Quarterly 51(2): 123-140. [pdf]
Recommended
Readings
  • Borgatti. 1997. Structural holes: Unpacking Burt's redundancy measures. Connections 20(1) [html]
  • Borgatti, Jones and Everett. 1998. Network measures of social capital. 21(2) [html]
  • Gould, R. & Fernandez, R. 1989. Structures of mediation: A formal approach to brokerage in transaction networks. Sociological Methodology. 19: 89-126.
  • Wellman, B. & Frank, K. 1999. Network capital in a multi-level world.
  • Marsden, P.V. 1988. Homogeneity in confiding relations. Social Networks 10: 57-76.
  • Lin, Nan, Walter M. Ensel, and John C. Vaughn. 1981. Social Resources and Strength of Ties: Structural Factors in Occupational Status Attainment. American Sociological Review 46(4):393-405.
  • Mayhew, B. 1968. Behavioral observability and compliance with religious proscriptions on birth control. Social Forces 47: 60-70 [Mayhew's first article]
  • Burt, Gabbay, Holt, Moran. 1994. Contingent organization as a network theory: The culture-performance contingency function.Acta Sociologica 37: 345-370. Or look at any of the articles at Burt's website
  • Uzzi, B. 1996. The sources and consequences of embeddedness for the economic performance of organizations: The network effect. American Sociological Review 61: 674-698
  • Lin, N. 1999. Social Networks and Status Attainment. Annual Review of Sociology 23. 
  • Burt, R.S. 1983. Range. Pp. 176-194 in Burt & Minor (Eds.) Applied Network Analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage.

  • Gould, R. & Fernandez, R. 1989. Structures of mediation: A formal approach to brokerage in transaction networks. Sociological Methodology. 19: 89-126. {skim}

  • Burt, R. 1982. The social structure of competition.  {read Chapter 1, skim the rest}
  • Burt, R. The social capital of structural holes. [PDF]
  • Putnam, Bowling Alone. [html]
  • Burt, R. 2001. Structural holes versus network closure as social capital. In N. Lin, K. S. Cook, & R. S. Burt (Eds.), Social Capital: Theory and Research: 31-56. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. [PDF]
  • Portes, A., & Sensenbrenner, J. 1993. Embeddedness and immigration - Notes on the social determinants of economic-action. American Journal of Sociology, 98(6): 1320-1350. [link to pdf] [skim]
  • A socnet discussion on the origins of "social capital" [html]
  • Wellman, B. & Frank, K. 1999. Network capital in a multi-level world. (scroll down to find this paper)
  • Marsden, P.V. 1988. Homogeneity in confiding relations. Social Networks 10: 57-76. [pdf link]
  • Mayhew, B. 1968. Behavioral observability and compliance with religious proscriptions on birth control. Social Forces 47: 60-70 [Mayhew's first article]

  • Burt, Gabbay, Holt, Moran. 1994. Contingent organization as a network theory: The culture-performance contingency function.Acta Sociologica 37: 345-370.  [pdf link] Or look at any of the articles at Burt's website

  • Lin, N. 1999. Social Networks and Status Attainment. Annual Review of Sociology 23. [pdf link]
  • Lin, Nan, Walter M. Ensel, and John C. Vaughn. 1981. Social Resources and Strength of Ties: Structural Factors in Occupational Status Attainment. American Sociological Review 46(4):393-405. [pdf link]
  • Burt, R.S. 1983. Range. Pp. 176-194 in Burt & Minor (Eds.) Applied Network Analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage.

 

November 1

TESTING HYPOTHESES
Topics:
Reading: Just skim these (they are difficult readings):
  • Krackhardt, D. 1987. “QAP Partialling as a test of spuriousness”. Social Networks 9: 171-186. [pdf]
  • Krackhardt, D. 1988. "Predicting with networks: Nonparametric multiple regression analysis of dyadic data." Social Networks. 10:359-381. [pdf]
Lab:
Optional:
  • Baker, F. and Hubert, L. 1981. The analysis of social interaction data. Sociological Methods & Research 9(3): 339-361.
  • Hubert, L. & Schultz, L. 1976. Quadratic assignment as a general data analysis strategy. British Journal of Mathematical & Statistical Psychology 29:190-241.
  • Barley, S. 1990. The alignment of technology and structure through roles and networks. Administrative Science Quarterly 35: 61-103. [pdf link]
  • Burkhardt, M. 1994. Social interaction effects following a technological change: A longitudinal investigation. Academy of Management Journal 37(4): 869-898. [pdf link]
  • Boster, J. 1986. Exchange of Varieties and Information between Aguaruna manioc cultivators. American Anthropologist 88:428-436. [pdf link]
Slides

 

November 8

CLASS CANCELLED
Topics
  • I am out of town this week

 

November 15

LEADERSHIP & EFFECTIVENESS
Topics
  • Getting things done
  • Limits to network theory
  • Social capital
Format
  • In class, I will randomly choose people to improvise a network perspective on power, leadership and & performance
Readings

  • Sparrowe and Liden. 1997. Academy of Management Review. 22(2): 522-552. [pdf]

  • Brass, Daniel J. and M.E. Burkhardt. 1992. "Centrality and Power in Organizations." Pp. 191-215 in Nitin Nohria and Robert Eccles (eds), Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form, and Action. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. [pdf]

  • Brass, D.J. & Krackhardt, D. 1999. The social capital of 21st century leaders. In J.G. Hunt, G.E. Dodge, & L. Wong (Eds.), Out-of-the-box leadership, 179-194. Stamford, CT: JAI Press. [pdf]
  • Notes on Emerson (handout)
  • Cook, K., Emerson, R., Gillmore, M. & Yamagishi, T. 1983. The distribution of power in exchange networks ... American Journal of Sociology 89: 275-305. [pdf link]
  • Markovsky, B., Willer, D. and Patton, T. 1988. Power relations in exchange networks. American Sociological Review 53: 220-236.
Recommended Readings
Lab Exercises
Slides

 

November 22

THANKSGIVING
Topics
  • Attend to family ties
Format
  • No class

 

November 29

Software Issues
Topics
  • Measuring social capital
  • Working with ego network data
  • E-NET program
Format
  • Working on the computer

 

December 6

KNOWLEDGE

Topics
  • Transactive memory
  • Communities of practice
  • Innovation & creativity
Format
  • Lecture plus discussion
Readings
  • March, J. 1991. Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science 2(1): 71-87 [pdf]
  • Krackhardt, David. 1992 "The Strength of Strong Ties: The Importance of Philos in Organizations." In N. Nohria & R. Eccles (eds.), Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form, and Action: 216-239. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.[PDF]
  • Borgatti, S.P. and Cross, R. 2003. A Relational View of Information Seeking and Learning in Social Networks. Management Science. 49(4): 432-445.[pdf]
  • Burt, R. 2003. The social origin of ideas. [PDF]
  • Krackhardt. 1997. Organizational Viscosity and the Diffusion of Controversial Innovations," Journal of Mathematical Sociology. 22:177-199. [PDF]
  • Krackhardt, D. & Stern, R.1988. Informal networks and organizational crises. Social Psychology Quarterly 51(2): 123-140.  [PDF] {skim}

  • Powell,W.W.,Koput, K.W.,&Smith-Doerr,L. 1996. Interorganizational collaboration and the locus of innovation: Networks of learning in biotechnology. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(1): 116–145. [^pdf]
Recommended Readings
  • Walker, G. 1985. Network position and cognition in a computer firm. Administrative Science Quarterly 30: 103-130. [pdf link]

  • Wegner, D., Giuliano, T., & Hertel, P. (1985).  Cognitive Interdependence in Close Relationships. In W. Ickes (Ed.) Compatible and Incompatible Relationships pp. 253-276 New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.

  • Moreland, R. 1999. Transactive memory: Learning who knows what in work groups and organizations. Pp. 3-31 in Thompson, Levine & Messick, Shared Cognition in Organizations: The management of knowledge. Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Ece Kumbasar; A. Kimball Rommey; William H. Batchelder. The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 100, No. 2. (Sep., 1994), pp. 477-505.  [link to pdf]
  • Friedkin, N.E. 1991. "Theoretical foundations for centrality measures." American Journal of Sociology. 96:1478-504.
  • DiMaggio and Powell. 1983. The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism ... American Sociological Review 48(2): 147-160. [pdf]
  • McGrath & Krackhardt. 2004. Network conditions for organizational change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. [pdf] 
  • Krackhardt, D. (1996). Structural leverage in marketing.  In Dawn Iacobucci (Ed.)  Networks in marketing (pp. 50-59).  Thousand Oaks CA: Sage
  • Galaskiewicz, J. & Burt, R.S. 1991. Interorganizational contagion in corporate philanthropy. Administrative Science Quarterly 36: 88-105. [pdf link]
  • Valente, T. (1999). Social network thresholds in the diffusion of innovations. Social Networks, 18, 69-89.

Classics:

  • Coleman, J., Katz, E., & Menzel H. (1957). The diffusion of an innovation among physicians. Sociometry, 20, 253-270.
  • Rogers, E.M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York: Free Press.
  • Allen, T. (1977). Managing the flow of technology: Technology transfer and the dissemination of technological information within the research and development organization.   Cambridge: MIT Press
  • Granovetter, M. (1973), "The Strength of Weak Ties," American Journal of Sociology, 78 (6): 1360-1380
  • J.G. March, Explorations and Exploitation in organizational learning, Organization Science, 2, 1991
Slides

 

December 13

NETWORK PARADIGM
Topics
  • Criticisms of the field
  • Relation to other theoretical perspectives
  • Future prospects
Format
  • Class discussion
Readings
  • Borgatti. What's wrong with organizational social network research? [doc]
  • Borgatti, S.P. and Foster, P. 2003. The network paradigm in organizational research:  A review and typology. Journal of Management. 29(6): 991-1013 [pdf]
  • Hatch, Mary Jo. Chapter from book [handed out in class last week].
  • Emirbayer, M. & Goodwin, J. 1994. Network analysis, culture, and the problem of agency. American Journal of Sociology 6: 1411-54. [pdf link]
  • Astley, G. & Van de Ven, A. 1983. Central perspectives and debates in organizational theory. Administrative Science Quarterly; Jun83, Vol. 28 Issue 2, p245, 29p. [^pdf]
  • Salancik, G. 1995. Wanted: A good network theory of organization. Administrative Science Quarterly 40:345-349. [pdf link]
Recommended Readings
  • Granovetter, M. (1992). Problems of explanation in economic sociology. In N. Nohria & R.G. Eccles (Eds.), Networks and organizations: Structure, form, and action, 25-56. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
  • Mayhew, B. 1980. Structuralism vs. individualism part 1: Shadow boxing in the dark. Social Forces :335-375.
  • Hummon & Carley 1993. Social networks as normal science. Social Networks 15: 71-106.
  • Hays, S. 1994. Structure and agency and the sticky problem of culture. Sociological Theory, 12(1): 57-72. [link to pdf][slow]
  • DiMaggio and Powell. 1983. The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism ... American Sociological Review 48(2): 147-160. [pdf]
  • Zukin, S., & DiMaggio, P.J. (1990). Introduction. In S. Zukin and P.J. DiMaggio (Eds.), Structures of capital: The social organization of the economy, 1-36. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
  • Padgett, J.F., & Ansell, C.K. (1993). Robust action and the rise of the Medici, 1400-1434. American Journal of Sociology, 98: 1259-1319. [link to PDF]

 

December 16

TERM PAPER
Notes
  • Submit via e-mail by midnight Dec 16. No hard-copy please.
  • 20-40 pages.