Social Network Centrality Research Articles

Work motivation of the ego, the alters, and centrality in organizational social networks

Although there is a growing interest to study the emergence of social network positions, its motivational antecedents have been largely overlooked by the extant literature. We propose that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of an ego diversely affect ego’s indegree centrality in organizational networks of informal advice relationships. Furthermore, we suggest that such an outcome can be expected also when we consider the motivational orientation of the ego’s advice providers. To test our theory, we conducted our fieldwork in an Italian consulting company that employs a total of 134 employees, and the response rate was 90%. We discuss the theoretical implications for the organizational social networks and work motivation literature. The findings imply important practical implications for managers, which we discuss at the end of the paper.

Centrality in heterogeneous social networks for lurkers detection: An approach based on hypergraphs

SummaryNowadays, social networks provide users an interactive platform to create and share heterogeneous content for a lot of different purposes (eg, to comment events and facts, and express and share personal opinions on specific topics), allowing millions of individuals to create online profiles and share personal information with vast networks known and sometimes also unknown people. Knowledge about users, content, and relationships in a social network may be used for an adversary attack of some victims easily. Although a number of works have been done for data privacy preservation on relational data, they cannot be applied in social networks and in general for big data analytics. In this paper, we first propose a novel data model that integrates and combines information on users belonging to 1 or more heterogeneous online social networks, together with the content that is generated, shared, and used within the related environments, using an hypergraph data structure; then we implemented the most diffused centrality measures and also introduced a new centrality measure—based on the concept of “neighborhood” among users—that may be efficiently applied for a number of data privacy issues, such as lurkers and neighborhood attack prevention, especially in “interest‐based” social networks. Some experiments using the Yelp dataset are discussed.

Flocking based evolutionary computation strategy for measuring centrality of online social networks

Centrality in social network is one of the major research topics in social network analysis. Even though there are more than half a dozen methods to find centrality of a node, each of these methods has some drawbacks in one aspect or the other. This paper analyses different centrality calculation methods and proposes a new swarm based method named Flocking Based Centrality for Social network (FBCS). This new computation technique makes use of parameters that are more realistic and practical in online social networks. The interactions between nodes play a significant role in determining the centrality of node. The new method has been calculated both empirically as well as experimentally. The new method is tested, verified and validated for different sets of random networks and benchmark datasets. The method has been correlated with other state of the art centrality measures. The new centrality measure is found to be realistic and suits well with online social networks. The proposed method can be used in applications such as finding the most prestigious node and for discovering the node which can influence maximum number of users in an online social network. FBCS centrality has higher Kendall’s tau correlation when compared with other state of the art centrality methods. The robustness of the FBCS centrality is found to be better than other centrality measures.

Reciprocal Associations between Delinquent Behavior and Social Network Position during Middle School.

Delinquency and social standing are linked within middle school. Yet, theoretical explanations are generally unidirectional, and prevailing models are somewhat contradictory in terms of the directionality of the link between delinquency and social standing. The current study aimed to expand upon our current understanding of the social nature of delinquency by examining reciprocal associations between delinquency and social standing. We conceptualized social standing using two indices of social network position: social network prestige (how important or influential one is within the peer network) and social network centrality (how well-connected one is to peers in the network). We also assessed gender differences in associations. Ethnically diverse middle school students were followed longitudinally across one year (three waves; N = 516, M age = 11.91 years at the first wave; 47% girls; 55% Latina/o). Participants reported on their delinquent behavior and nominated friends within their grade; friendship nominations were used to calculate social network prestige and centrality. Results indicated that both indicators of social network position were associated with increases in delinquency across school years, but not within the school year. Further, delinquency was associated with increases in social network prestige but not social network centrality (again, only across school years). Similarities across gender were found. The findings highlight the need to expand upon current, generally unidirectional theories of the social nature of delinquency, and suggest important differences between change within vs. across the school year.

Are Pre-Assembly Shared Work Experiences Useful for Temporary-Team Assembly Decisions? A Study of Olympic Ice Hockey Team Composition

The purpose of this study was to investigate if pre-assembly shared work experiences among temporary team members facilitate individual and team performance. Archival data from the 2014 Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament (12 teams, 25 players each) was used in the study. Measures of social network centrality were computed based on the pre-assembly shared work experiences among national team members derived from professional and amateur affiliations. These measures were used to predict objective individual and team performance criteria. Players’ closeness centrality scores, from pre-assembly shared work experience networks, positively predicted their goals, assists, and being involved in more positive than negative plays. Teams with less centralized pre-assembly shared work experience network structures tended to perform better than teams with more centralized pre-assembly shared work experience network structures. Temporary teams are commonly used by organizations to perform tasks that are specific, important, and of short duration. Because temporary teams have little time to develop the shared properties required for effective team functioning, assembly decisions are of paramount importance. The results from this study suggest that centrality measures derived from pre-assembly shared work experiences are useful to consider when assembling temporary teams. Few studies have investigated the impact of pre-assembly shared work experiences on individual and team performance. Using objective data, this study provides evidence that pre-assembly shared work experiences relate to individual and team performance in temporary teams, supporting the need for expanded research in this area.

Social Experiences of Children With Disabilities in Inclusive Portuguese Preschool Settings

Based on peer sociometric reports, we examined how number of friendships, social acceptance, and characteristics of social networks vary as a function of disability profile. We also investigated teachers’ awareness of the sociometric status of young children with disabilities. Participants were 86 children with disabilities (63 boys) enrolled in inclusive preschool classrooms of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal ( Mage = 67.33 months, SD = 10.54). Findings suggest that children with severe or sociobehavioral disabilities may be at increased risk of social rejection and isolation, having fewer friends and lower social network centrality than children with mild disabilities. Low agreement between teachers’ classifications of the social status of children with disabilities and classifications based on peer nominations raises concerns about their awareness of processes of social rejection and neglect. Findings highlight the need for interventions to support positive social experiences at the dyadic and group levels in Portuguese inclusive preschool classrooms.

Re-conceptualizing centrality in social networks

In the social sciences, networks are used to represent relationships between social actors, be they individuals or aggregates. The structural importance of these actors is assessed in terms of centrality indices which are commonly defined as graph invariants. Many such indices have been proposed, but there is no unifying theory of centrality. Previous attempts at axiomatic characterization have been focused on particular indices, and the conceptual frameworks that have been proposed alternatively do not lend themselves to mathematical treatment.We show that standard centrality indices, although seemingly distinct, can in fact be expressed in a common framework based on path algebras. Since, as a consequence, all of these indices preserve the neighbourhood-inclusion pre-order, the latter provides a conceptually clear criterion for the definition of centrality indices.

Predicting temporal centrality in Opportunistic Mobile Social Networks based on social behavior of people

Predicting the centrality of nodes is a significant problem for different applications in Opportunistic Mobile Social Networks (OMSNs). However, when calculating such metrics, current studies focus...

Race, disability, and grade: Social relationships in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Race is associated with social relationships among typically developing children; however, studies rarely examine the impact of race on social outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder. This study examined how race (African American, Latino, Asian, or White) in conjunction with disability status (autism spectrum disorders or typically developing) and grade (grades K-2 or 3-5) affects friendships and social networks. The sample comprises 85 children with autism spectrum disorders and 85 typically developing controls matched on race, gender, age/grade, and classroom (wherever possible). Race, disability, and grade each had an independent effect on friendship nominations, and there was an interaction among the three variables. Specifically, children with autism spectrum disorders who were African American or Latino in the upper elementary grades received fewer friendship nominations than typically developing White children in the lower elementary grades. Only the presence of autism spectrum disorders was associated with social network centrality. Our results also suggested that Latino children with autism spectrum disorders in the upper elementary grades were at the highest risk of social isolation. Implications for re-conceptualizing social skills interventions are discussed.

플립러닝 연구 동향에 대한 키워드 네트워크 분석 연구

The purpose of this study is to find the research trends relating to flipped learning through keyword network analysis. For investigating this topic, final 100 papers (removed due to overlap in all 205 papers) were selected as subjects from the result of research databases such as RISS, DBPIA, and KISS. After keyword extraction, coding, and data cleaning, we made a 2-mode network with final 202 keywords. In order to find out the research trends, frequency analysis, social network structural property analysis based on co-keyword network modeling, and social network centrality analysis were used. Followings were the results of the research: (a) Achievement, writing, blended learning, teaching and learning model, learner centered education, cooperative leaning, and learning motivation, and self-regulated learning were found to be the most common keywords except flipped learning. (b) Density was .088, and geodesic distance was 3.150 based on keyword network type 2. (c) Teaching and learning model, blended learning, and satisfaction were centrally located and closed related to other keywords. Satisfaction, teaching and learning model blended learning, motivation, writing, communication, and achievement were playing an intermediary role among other keywords.

Mobile inequality: Remittances and social network centrality in Cambodian migrant livelihoods

Mobile inequality: Remittances and social network centrality in Cambodian migrant livelihoods

A fuzzy social network centrality analysis model for interpersonal spatial relations

Interpersonal nodes in the social networking sites reflect the para-virtual and para-real relationships, and form a complex social network. To reveal the properties of the interpersonal nodes and their interrelations effectively, this paper develops an evaluation index system, which contains fuzzy comentropy, fuzzy node degree, fuzzy condensation degree, fuzzy cluster coefficient and fuzzy geographic concentration, and particularly proposes a fuzzy social network centrality analysis (FSNCA) model, which combines “node distribution”, “node connection strength” and “node condensation and cluster”, based on the fuzzy graph-theory. The FSNCA model has been successfully applied to study the interpersonal nodes' spatial relations in three social networking services (SNS) cases, in which three progressive layers, “nodes”, “node connections” and “differences between node connections”, are analyzed respectively. In the first case, the “friend group nodes” are studied to evaluate the equilibrium of node distribution in the network space by use of the fuzzy comentropy index. In the second case, the “connections between BBS group regional nodes” are studied to evaluate the centrality status and types of nodes in the network space by use of the fuzzy node degree index. The third case analyzes the “node connections of two kinds of chance relation groups” to evaluate the differences of centrality status in different networks by use of the fuzzy condensation degree, fuzzy cluster coefficient and fuzzy geographic concentration indexes. The systematic cognition of the interpersonal node spatial relations in the SNS community proves that the proposed method can effectively reveal the essence of fuzzy centralities. It sheds some light on the para-virtual and para-real geographical research, which is of significance to enrich the para-virtual and para-real geographical spatial relation theory, and it can also directly support the management and development of social networks of online services.

Social network centrality and hormones: The interaction of testosterone and cortisol

In this study we tested whether testosterone and cortisol interacted in predicting social network centrality within a male rugby team. Using social network analysis (SNA), three measures of centrality were investigated: popularity (i.e., the number of incoming ties a participant receives), gregariousness (i.e., the number of ties leaving from a participant and reaching out to others), and betweenness (i.e., the number of times a person lies between two other individuals). In line with the idea that testosterone and cortisol jointly regulate the emergence of social status, we found that individuals with high basal testosterone and low basal cortisol were more popular and more likely to act as connectors among other individuals (i.e., betweenness). The same hormonal profile was not predictive of gregariousness. However, in line with the small literature on the topic, we found that cortisol was inversely correlated with gregariousness. Despite the cross-sectional and correlational nature of our research design, these findings represent the first empirical evidence that testosterone and cortisol interact to predict complex measures of social hierarchy position derived from social network analyses.

Social Network Centrality and Newcomer Socialization

Newcomer orientation programs, in the form of corporate university training, are gaining popularity among both U.S. and multinational firms. One of the benefits of a corporate university is to facilitate the development of newcomers’ broader social networks spanning across the entire corporation. However, the impact of social networks that could be formed in this context, prior to their first day in the routine work role, has not yet been examined. This study proposes and tests a theoretical model about the relationships among personality traits (proactive personality and self-monitoring), newcomer centrality in communication and friendship networks formed before joining a local company, changes in newcomers during socialization processes, and distal socialization outcomes. Results from a 9-wave longitudinal study with sample of 366 organizational newcomers show that newcomers’ centrality in social networks is related to changes in newcomer adjustment, which in turn, affects subsequent newcomers’ attitudes towards the organization.

The impact of social networks on leadership behaviour

Dominant streams in leadership literature conceptualise it either as a role within sociopolitical structure or as a behavioural predisposition of agents. Leadership roles are determined by decisional power, most typically related to the hierarchical and structural position of agents within sociopolitical networks. Limitations in attaining meaningful predictions of leader potential can be related to the separation of leadership as an agency attribute from leaders as structurally embedded agents. Social network analysis allows for the contingent examination of both. In this article, a number of hypotheses are tested via an empirical case study where interaction and affiliation networks across multiple decision experiments are coupled with attribute and psychometric data of the actors. In this quasi-experimental setting, leadership emergence is studied among four groups of undergraduate students faced with a decision choice in an iterative political simulation game. Findings suggest that in egalitarian political systems, centrality in social networks is directly associated with political success, while in political systems imbued with power inequalities successful actors are idiocentric brokers. Methodologically, this study frames role simulation games as quasi-experimental tests. Group interactions can be controlled, but vitally also incorporated in studies of perceptions, behaviours and group outcomes. The use of attitudinal micro-surveys, psychometric tests, observation and relational surveys is combined for a comprehensive mapping of group dynamics suited to questions of agency. In conclusion, there are a number of insights offered on deploying these methods in tandem and the challenges inherent in such a research design.

Employee Centrality in Workgroup Social Networks and I-deals

Individually negotiated customized work arrangements or idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) are an increasingly common phenomenon in contemporary organizations. We propose that these deals are created and implemented in the social context of the workgroup, such that one’s location in the social network of relationships within the group plays a key role in encouraging or deterring any i-deals. Drawing on social network theory we propose that being central in trust network is positively associated with i-deals whereas being central in hindrance network is negatively associated with i-deals. Further, both relationships are stronger in high potency workgroups. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses on data gathered from 421 focal employees and 424 peers nested in 29 workgroups supported these hypotheses.

Residency as a Social Network: Burnout, Loneliness, and Social Network Centrality.

Burnout is typically viewed as an individual condition, and no link has been identified between burnout and loneliness. To investigate the association of burnout with loneliness and social network degree and centrality. A survey containing the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a 3-question loneliness scale, and a social connectivity component was sent to residents in a large urban academic medical center internal medicine residency program. The response rate was 77% (95 of 124 residents). We defined significant burnout as MBI subscores of ≥ 27 for emotional exhaustion (EE), ≥ 10 for depersonalization (DP), or both. This was met by 43 (45%), 47 (49%), and 31 (33%) out of 95 respondents, respectively. Those with significant burnout had higher loneliness scores: 5.6 versus 4.5 for EE (P = .002; OR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.15-1.95); 5.4 versus 4.6 for DP (P = .024; OR = 1.33; 95% CI 1.03-1.71); and 5.8 versus 4.6 for both EE and DP (P = .001; OR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.17-2.02). Rating a larger number of coresidents as closer connections on a 5-point Likert scale was not associated with lower burnout scores. No measures of centrality were associated with burnout scores for EE and/or DP. High personal accomplishment subscores on the MBI did correlate significantly with several measures of centrality. Burnout was associated with loneliness in a dose-dependent fashion. Greater sense of personal accomplishment was associated with greater network centrality.

Association Between Organ Procurement Organization Social Network Centrality and Kidney Discard and Transplant Outcomes.

Given growth in kidney transplant waitlists and discard rates, donor kidney acceptance is an important problem. We used network analysis to examine whether organ procurement organization (OPO) network centrality affects discard and outcomes. We identified 106,160 deceased donor kidneys recovered for transplant from 2000 to 2010 in Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We constructed the transplant network by year with each OPO representing a node and each kidney-sharing relationship between OPOs representing a directed tie between nodes. Primary exposures were the number of different OPOs to which an OPO has given a kidney or from which an OPO has received a kidney in year preceding procurement year. Primary outcomes were discard, cold-ischemia time, delayed graft function, and 1-year graft loss. We used multivariable regression, restricting analysis to the 50% of OPOs with highest discard and stratifying remaining OPOs by kidney volume. Models controlled for kidney donor risk index, waitlist time, and kidney pumping. An increase in one additional OPO to which a kidney was given by a procuring OPO in a year was associated with 1.4% lower likelihood of discard for a given kidney (odds ratio, 0.986; 95% confidence interval, 0.974-0.998) among OPOs procuring high kidney volume, but 2% higher likelihood of discard (odds ratio, 1.021; 95% confidence interval, 1.006-1.037) among OPOs procuring low kidney volume, with mixed associations with recipient outcomes. Our study highlights the value of network analysis in revealing how broader kidney sharing is associated with levels of organ acceptance. We conclude interventions to promote broader inter-OPO sharing could be developed to reduce discard for a subset of OPOs.

Dyadic associations and individual sociality in bighorn ewes

Sociality presumably evolved because it leads to fitness benefits; yet we know little about what drives individual variability in sociality, particularly with respect to hierarchical levels of social organization. Social network architecture is based upon dyadic interactions, but the factors affecting pairwise relationships are not necessarily those affecting higher-level network-derived measures of social behavior. We examined the influence of relatedness, age, dominance, and reproductive status on proximal associations and social network centrality of individuals in the fission–fusion society of bighorn ewes (Ovis canadensis) at Ram Mountain, Canada. From 2011 to 2013, 63–81% of adult ewes were equipped with proximity loggers, recording when they were within 1.5 m of one another. Ewe social structure was not random and individuals exhibited a tendency to have proximal associations that were consistent across years. Age and reproductive status appeared to have a weak effect on network centrality, but this effect was largely absent for frequency of proximal association. Furthermore, we found no effect of dominance rank on either proximal associations or network centrality. We speculate that interannual variation in these relationships may be indicative of predation affecting social dynamics. The disconnect between determinants that affect the costs and benefits of dyadic associations and those that emerge from network-derived behaviors highlights the importance of testing effects at multiple levels of social organization in animal societies.

사회연결망상의 우위와 감성 표현과의 관계 분석: 알츠하이머 웹포럼의 적용

사회연결망상의 우위와 감성 표현과의 관계 분석: 알츠하이머 웹포럼의 적용