Information Management in Networks: Measuring its Influence with a New Approach

Abstract

People belong in networks. In these networks people act and interact with others. What else apart from the connections and the structure of the network activate the formation of preferences and behaviors in networks? The influence that networks exert depends on the way information is structured and is integrated as well as the way information is transmitted to the members of the network. The structure and the influence of the network are closely related to the knowledge that exists in networks. That means that knowledge is information produced, circulated and consumed in the networks. Information derives from many different sources and it is evaluated for its quality, reliability and validity. The members of the network manage this information; add to this relative importance forming respective knowledge. How people in networks manage the information it is not a conscious and controllable process. That means that the exposure of the members of the network at the information is part of their participation in a network. Most of the times, the access to this information is mediated. Thus, the members of the network are those who reproduce and disseminate this information. The present research focuses on the challenging function of the networks as well as the information management as part of the formation of behaviors and preferences. The analytical and demanding design of the conjoint analysis as statistical tool reveals the latent power that information can exert.