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AbstractIn light of the burgeoning literature in whole, goal-directed networks for managing wicked problems in public management, it is timely to examine the theoretical evolution that has both shaped and constrained our understanding of these networks. In this article, we argue that contemporary study of whole networks has been dominated by an internal theoretical lens aimed at understanding how internal characteristics influence network functioning and effectiveness. This perspective assumes networks operate in differentiated environments rather than emphasizing interdependence as part of a broader ecology—networks of networks. In this article, we draw from population ecology to introduce the concept of network domains and offer evidence drawn from a population of 60 health-oriented networks in three counties to illustrate domain level characteristics. Using an inductive mode of theorizing, we leverage insights from these domains to consider population dynamics and pose propositions for advancing a program of study into domain level characteristics that may shape and constrain whole networks and their members.

This paper challenges a common understanding, implicit in many governance studies, that once policy networks are in place, the form of governing that follows is network governing. It is argued that policy networks may be understood as a way of organizing stakeholders and only under specific conditions may the governing mode in which the networks operate be termed network governing. Consequently, policy networks may subsist under other governing modes, for example, under a hierarchical mode. The present study uses actor‐centred case studies in the area of Danish employment policy. Employment policy in Denmark is municipally implemented and the study found that the local governing mode was determined mainly by the municipality's approach to local co‐governing. Less important, but nevertheless significant, is the capacity and interest of key private actors. Thus it is argued that nationally mandated local policy networks are insufficient in themselves to assure network governing in all settings. The reasons hierarchical governing modes prevail over those of network governing are identified and discussed in terms of agency and structure.

Transnational advocacy networks (TANs) with similar goals are linked to one another through brokerage networks. Analysis of a network of 10 TANs devoted to environmental issues and economic reform, and consisting of 436 advocacy organisations in 75 countries, revealed the existence of two subnetworks whose members served in several capacities as brokers: 12 advocacy organisations, which belonged to four or more TANs; eight advocacy organisations associated with the federation, Friends of the Earth, which belonged to three or more TANs. The activities of members of these networks included participation in governance of TANs, development of long-term relationships with funders, and production of reports containing information and policy analysis. For less active organisations, members of these subnetworks provided information and, in some cases, access to funding. Adapted from the source document.

Since 1918 The Netherlands has witnessed the founding of numerous
women′s organisations. The history, present situation and future
developments of Dutch women′s networks are analysed by means of network
theory. Women′s networks have been established to give women
professional and private support which they did not find in other social
and organisational circuits. Women′s networks are growing not only in
number, but also in size. With the aid of network theory three trends
are pointed out: (1) temporary support networks become real social
networks, (2) temporary issue and support networks are being created
within the broader framework of networks, (3) women′s networks are
turning into organisation networks. This higher degree of organisation
resembles the development of the role of trade unions in society. The
women′s movement seems to be moving in the same direction; therefore a
higher degree of organisation is a challenge for the future. First, in
order to become a major stakeholder for organisations the women′s
networks need to accept their mutual interdependence and should start
working according to the principles of partnership. They need to
co‐operate, and the forces within the women′s movement need to be
concentrated so that the entire movement can gain strength. Secondly,
the diversity of women′s organisations demands an internal reorientation
in order to survive the external and internal demands of the 1990s on
these networks.

To analyze social network data using standard statistical approaches is to risk incorrect inference. The dependencies among observations implied in a network conceptualization undermine standard assumptions of the usual general linear models. One of the most quickly expanding areas of social and policy network methodology is the development of statistical modeling approaches that can accommodate such dependent data. In this article, we review three network statistical methods commonly used in the current literature: quadratic assignment procedures, exponential random graph models (ERGMs), and stochastic actor‐oriented models. We focus most attention on ERGMs by providing an illustrative example of a model for a strategic information network within a local government. We draw inferences about the structural role played by individuals recognized as key innovators and conclude that such an approach has much to offer in analyzing the policy process.

AbstractWe consider three network disconnection problems in a centralized network where a source node provides service to the other nodes, called demand nodes. In network disconnection problems, each demand node gets a certain benefit when connected to a source node and a network attacker destroys edges to prevent demand nodes from achieving benefits. As destroying edges incurs expenses, an attacker considers the following three different strategies. The first is to maximize the sum of benefits of the disconnected nodes while keeping the total edge destruction cost no more than a given budget. The second is to minimize the total destruction cost needed to make a certain amount of benefits not accomplished. The last is to minimize the ratio of the total destruction cost to the benefits not accomplished. In this paper, we develop exact algorithms to solve the above three problems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007

The importance of policy networks has long been emphasized within the field of policy analysis. However, few attempts have been made to investigate the explanatory power of policy networks using the tools and theoretical concepts provided by social network analysis (SNA). This paper aims to address this need by determining if a relationship exists between the structural features of policy networks, their organizing capacities, and their performance. A comparative case study of four networks within the higher education policy sector confirms the assumption related to the existence of such a relation. It is proposed that an efficient and innovative policy network consists of a heterogeneous set of actors that are centrally and densely integrated. Furthermore, while the level of network heterogeneity is positively related to the function of resource mobilization in the process of policymaking, the level of centralized integration promotes the function of prioritizing. These findings are believed to contribute to our understanding of policymaking in contemporary society. The current paper indicates that a significant explanatory power exists in the concept of policy networks and that SNA is one way of advancing its possibilities. Adapted from the source document.

ABSTRACTTo date, most of the literature on trade networks in West Africa has considered networks in a metaphorical way. The aim of this paper is to go one step further by showing how social network analysis may be applied to the study of regional trade in West Africa. After a brief review of the literature, this exploratory paper investigates two main issues related to regional trade. We start by discussing how recent developments in regional trade in West Africa have contributed to challenging the social structure of traders. We then discuss the changes that have affected the spatiality of regional trade by looking at the influence of spatial location and geographic scale on traders' abilities to trade. In both cases, we argue that the value of social network analysis in exploring how traders have progressively adapted to social and spatial changes in economic activities has been greatly underestimated. Our discussion is illustrated with the case of two trade networks located between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.

Artificial neural networks are a machine learning method ideal for solving classification and prediction problems using Big Data. Online social networks and virtual communities provide a plethora of data. Artificial neural networks have been used to determine the emotional meaning of virtual community posts, determine age and sex of users, classify types of messages, and make recommendations for additional content. This article reviews and examines the utilization of artificial neural networks in online social network and virtual community research. An artificial neural network to predict the maintenance of online social network "friends" is developed to demonstrate the applicability of artificial neural networks for virtual community research.

The importance of interorganizational networks in supporting or hindering the achievement of organizational objectives is now widely acknowledged. Network research is directed at understanding network processes and structures, and their impact upon performance. A key process is learning. The concepts of individual, group and organizational learning are long established. This article argues that learning might also usefully be regarded as occurring at a fourth system level, the interorganizational network. The concept of network learning - learning by a group of organizations as a group - is presented, and differentiated from other types of learning, notably interorganizational learning (learning in interorganizational contexts). Four cases of network learning are identified and analysed to provide insights into network learning processes and outcomes. It is proposed that 'network learning episode' offers a suitable unit of analysis for the empirical research needed to develop our understanding of this potentially important concept.

Recent legal and political science literature has become increasingly critical on the accountability of what are generically referred to as European administrative networks, in which national administrative authorities cooperate with the EU institutions in a myriad of formal and informal ways in the development as well as the implementation of secondary EU legislation. This article deals with two specific regulatory networks – the European Energy Regulators Group (ERGEG) and the European Regulators Group for Communications Networks and Services (ERG). In 2007, the Commission tabled legislative proposals aimed at formalising and strengthening the existing networks in the energy and electronic communications sectors by conferring on them independent agency status. The main aim of this article is to identify the legal and political accountability gaps in the present model of European regulatory networks (ERNs) and the proposed European network agencies. The authors conclude that the creation of the European network agencies will hardly lead to the strengthening of the political and legal accountability of the European regulatory coordination between the national regulatory authorities (NRAs) and the Commission. The authors recommend that the European legislator looks beyond traditional mechanisms to secure political and legal accountability; more attention is urgently required to the creation and detailing of mixed or complementary accountability mechanisms, in which representatives of the European and/or national accountability forums have a secure role to play. In this respect, this article puts forward a number of concrete recommendations to respond to accountability issues arising out of the mixed exercise of European and national powers, such as the creation of a mixed parliamentary commission consisting of members of the European parliament and the national parliaments to monitor the activities of the Commission and the European network agencies.

This paper presents a model of local network effects in which agents connected in a social network each value the adoption of a product by a heterogeneous subset of other agents in their neighborhood, and have incomplete information about the structure and strength of adoption complementarities between all other agents. I show that the symmetric Bayes-Nash equilibria of this network game are in monotone strategies, can be strictly Pareto-ranked based on a scalar neighbor-adoption probability value, and that the greatest such equilibrium is uniquely coalition-proof. Each Bayes-Nash equilibrium has a corresponding fulfilled-expectations equilibrium under which agents form local adoption expectations. Examples illustrate cases in which the social network is an instance of a Poisson random graph, when it is a complete graph, a standard model of network effects, and when it is a generalized random graph. A generating function describing the structure of networks of adopting agents is characterized as a function of the Bayes-Nash equilibrium they play, and empirical implications of this characterization are discussed.