Bridging, brokerage and betweenness

Valente and Fujimoto (2010) proposed a measure of brokerage in networks based on Granovetter’s classic work on the strength of weak ties. Their paper identified the need for finding node-based measures of brokerage that consider the entire network structure, not just a node’s local environment. The measures they propose, aggregating the average change in cohesion for a node’s links, has several limitations. In this paper we review their method and show how the idea can be modified by using betweenness centrality as an underpinning concept. We explore the properties of the new method and provide point, normalized, and network level variations. This new approach has two advantages, first it provides a more robust means to normalize the measure to control for network size, and second, the modified measure is computationally less demanding making it applicable to larger networks

Brokering the core and the periphery: Creative success and collaboration networks in the film industry

In collaboration-based creative industries, such as film production, creators in the network core enjoy prestige and legitimacy that are key for creative success. However, core creators are challenged to maintain diverse access to new ideas or alternative views that often emerge from the network periphery. In this paper, we demonstrate that creators in the network core can increase the probability of their creative success by brokering peripheral collaborators to the core. The argument is tested on a dynamic collaboration network of movie creators constructed from a unique dataset of Hungarian feature films for the 1990-2009 period. We propose a new way to capture brokers' role in core/periphery networks and provide evidence that being in the core and at the same time bridging between the core and the periphery of the network significantly increases the likelihood of award winning

Exploring the organisational structure of networks for exercise oncology provision: a social network analysis of OnkoAktiv

Background: Structured exercise programs provide considerable health benefits for cancer patients. Therefore, various OnkoAktiv (OA) networks were established in Germany with the aim to connect cancer patients with certified exercise programs. However, knowledge about the integration of exercise networks into cancer care systems and conditions of interorganisational collaboration is lacking. The aim of this work was to analyse the OA networks to guide further network development and implementation work. Methods: We used methods of social network analysis within a cross-sectional study design. Network characteristics were analysed such as node and tie attributes, cohesion and centrality. We classified all networks into their level of organisational form in integrated care. Results: We analysed 11 OA networks with 26 actors and 216 ties on average. The smallest network counted 12 actors/56 ties, the largest 52/530. 76% of all actors operated within the medical/exercise sector, serving 19 different medical professions. In smaller “linkage” networks, several individual professionals were linked “from service to service”, whereas the more integrated networks revealed a core-periphery-structure. Discussion: Collaborative networks enable the involvement of professional actors from different operational fields. This study provides an in-depth understanding of underlying organisational structures that provides information for further development of exercise oncology provision. Trial registration: Not applicable, as no health care intervention was performed

Interorganizational Networks in Physical Activity Promotion: A Systematic Review

Public health challenges such as physical inactivity are multiplex and cannot be effectively addressed by single organizations or sectors. For this reason, public health policies have to involve various sectors and foster partnerships among organizations. Social network analysis (SNA) provides a methodological toolkit that enables the investigation of relationships between organizations to reveal information about the structure and cooperation within networks. This systematic review provides an overview of studies utilizing SNA to analyze the structure of networks that promote physical activity, including the structural set-up, types, and conditions of cooperation, the existence or absence of key actors, the characteristics of organizations working together, and potential barriers limiting collaboration. In total, eight eligible studies were identified. To evaluate the quality of these studies, a quality assessment tool for SNA was created. Relevant aspects from each study were systematically outlined using a data extraction template developed for network studies. The studies reported low to moderate density scores with many ties not being realized. Organizations tend to work side by side than as real partners, whereas organizations of the same type are more strongly connected. Most of the studies identified governmental health organizations as key players in their networks. Network maturity influences network outcomes. Shared goals and geographic proximity are potential facilitators for network development. For future research, more sophisticated methods and longitudinal studies are required to describe how networks, with the aim of promoting physical activity, develop and change to identify predicting factors for an effective network structur

Modal Sosial Dan Kesejahteraan Kelompok Tani Tebu

Modal sosial sangat besar peranannya dalam pemberdayaan masyarakat, seperti kelembagaan lokal, kearifan lokal, norma-norma dan kebiasaan lokal yang sering terabaikan peranannya di dalam upaya memperbaiki keadaan sosial ekonomi masyarakat. Keberadaan kelompok tani tebu sangat besar peranan nya dalam menyelesaikan permasalah yang dihadapi para petani tebu di desa Wringin anom, Asembagus, modal sosial yang dimiliki juga sangat menentukan keberadaan dan eksistensi kelompok tani tebu. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam menyusun penulisan ini adalah dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif, Hasil menunjukkan bahwa Kelompok tani ini terbentuk karena memiliki tujuan yang sama yaitu untuk mengatasi permasalahan biaya perawatan tebu, Nilai harmoni yang dimaksud adalah bagaimana anggota kelompok tani saling membentuk harmoni bekerjasama untuk meningkatkan kesejahteraan buruh tani yang dipekerjakan, Rasa kepercayaan mereka hadirkan dengan saling melakukan pertemuan rutin dimana kelompok ini memiliki rutinitas mengadakan pertemuan dalam kegiatan keagamaan.

Mapping the network of Shiʿi clerical relations in the Middle East:an analytical approach

While Shiʿi clerics are among the most influential political actors in the Middle East today, there remains insufficient understanding of the network of relationships that links them together and shapes their politics. This article argues that to understand the politics of Shiʿi clerical elites in the contemporary Middle East requires an historical and sociological grasp of the internal dynamics of Shiʿi leadership, and how and why individual clerics emerge as the top Shiʿi leaders (marjaʿiyya). Little is known about these internal dynamics because there has been little if any systematic study of how individuals within the clerical elite move up through the clerical hierarchy, what shapes the legacy they bring with them, and how this legacy influences their politics. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to fully understand where, when, and how new leaders will arise, and what impact they are likely to have on the politics of the societies in which they are based, and beyond. To illuminate these dynamics and better understand the influence of this important group of actors, this article proposes an approach that aims to map the interconnected world of the Shiʿi clergy using quantitative network analysis. It argues that network analysis can complement existing qualitative studies by illuminating latent connections among the Shiʿi clergy; and, ultimately, can offer a more authoritative foundation for forecasting the identity and politics of future Shiʿi marjaʿiyya

The dynamics of crowdfunding campaigns in the Middle East: Does social capital matter?

Svrha ove studije je analizirati dinamiku crowdfunding kampanja na Bliskom istoku i postaviti pitanje “je li društveni kapital važan” u tom pogledu? Studija koristi platformu Zoomaal.com kao studiju slučaja za 2019. i 2020. Potrebni podaci prikupljeni su sa Zoomaal.com i provedeni su polu-strukturirani intervjui on-line s ključnim osobama u kontroli kako bi se dalje istražila praksa crowdfundinga u odabranim zemljama Bliskog istoka (tj. u Turskoj, Egiptu, Omanu, Saudijskoj Arabiji, Bahreinu, Kuvajtu i UAE-u). OLS robusna standardna regresija pogreške i tehnike logističke regresije korištene su za testiranje modela studije. Nalazi otkrivaju da je društveni kapital u zemljama Bliskog istoka vrlo koherentan i da je i strukturna dimenzija (DS) mjerena interakcijom poduzetnika s društvenim mrežama (kao što su Facebook i Instagram) i kognitivna dimenzija (DC) mjerena brojem riječi koje su sastavili poduzetnici na platformi Zoomaal. com imaju značajan pozitivan utjecaj na uspjeh crowdfunding kampanje. Štoviše, potvrđujemo naše rezultate za Zoomaal.com i zaključujemo koji su glavni čimbenici koji utječu na uspjeh ili neuspjeh crowdfunding kampanje na Bliskom istoku.The purpose of this study is to analyze the dynamics of crowdfunding campaigns in the Middle East and raise the question of “does social capital matter” in this respect? The study uses the Zoomaal.com platform as a case study for 2019 and 2020. Required data was collected from Zoomaal.com and conducted online semistructured interviews with key people in control to further explore the crowdfunding practice in the selected Middle Eastern countries (i.e., Turkey, Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and UAE). The OLS robust standard error regression and logistic regression techniques were both utilized to test the study model. The findings reveal that social capital in the Middle East countries is very coherent and both structural dimension (DS) as measured by entrepreneurs’ interaction with the social media (such as Facebook and Instagram) and cognitive dimension (DC) as measured by the number of words that are composed by entrepreneurs in the Zoomaal.com platform has significant positive impacts on the crowdfunding campaign success. Moreover, we confirm our results to Zoomaal.com and conclude the main factors that influence the success or failure of a crowdfunding campaign in the Middle East

Detection of Core-Periphery Structure in Networks Using Spectral Methods and Geodesic Paths

We introduce several novel and computationally efficient methods for detecting "core--periphery structure" in networks. Core--periphery structure is a type of mesoscale structure that includes densely-connected core vertices and sparsely-connected peripheral vertices. Core vertices tend to be well-connected both among themselves and to peripheral vertices, which tend not to be well-connected to other vertices. Our first method, which is based on transportation in networks, aggregates information from many geodesic paths in a network and yields a score for each vertex that reflects the likelihood that a vertex is a core vertex. Our second method is based on a low-rank approximation of a network's adjacency matrix, which can often be expressed as a tensor-product matrix. Our third approach uses the bottom eigenvector of the random-walk Laplacian to infer a coreness score and a classification into core and peripheral vertices. We also design an objective function to (1) help classify vertices into core or peripheral vertices and (2) provide a goodness-of-fit criterion for classifications into core versus peripheral vertices. To examine the performance of our methods, we apply our algorithms to both synthetically-generated networks and a variety of networks constructed from real-world data sets.Comment: This article is part of EJAM's December 2016 special issue on "Network Analysis and Modelling" (available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-applied-mathematics/issue/journal-ejm-volume-27-issue-6/D245C89CABF55DBF573BB412F7651ADB