Social Network Relationships Research Articles

Do Social Network Relationships and Overseas Market Orientation Affect SMEs’ International Performance? A Dynamic Internationalization Capability Perspective

Dynamic internationalization capability plays a significant role in the performance of Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the process of internationalization. According to the concept of dynamic capability, businesses need to develop and maintain capabilities by obtaining valuable knowledge from different sources, such as market environments and social networks. However, previous studies have tended to only discuss the development of dynamic internationalization capabilities from a single perspective and have failed to explore more comprehensive knowledge sources. This study investigates whether social network relationships and overseas market orientation (OMO) improve dynamic internationalization capabilities. Participants were collected from internationalized SMEs in Taiwan via purposive sampling, yielding 211 valid samples. Results show that trust and commitment have a positive impact on international exploration capabilities, OMO has a positive impact on both international exploration and international exploitation capabilities, and international exploration has a positive impact on international performance. According to the findings, this study has several managerial and theoretical implications. In addition, it shows that the classification of SMEs’ capabilities enables them to focus on resources, thus contributing to resource concentration and the reduction of unnecessary waste.

Development and Validation of the Cancer Fatigue Scale: A Methodological Study

Cancer fatigue (CF) is a major issue facing cancer patients that can negatively impact their quality of life. This study describes the development and validation of the Cancer Fatigue (CF) scale for the assessment of fatigue in cancer patients. A total of 202 cancer patients at university hospitals in South Korea were recruited and completed the questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics; the construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis; internal consistency reliability of the scale was estimated for the meaningful total scale and factors; and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the repetitive reproducibility of the factors. Findings indicated that the CF scale had good psychometric properties. 67.89% of the variance was explained by four subfactors: socio-cognitive (six items), physical (five items), psycho-affective (three items), and social-relationship networks (two items). The Cronbach’s alpha of the 16-item CF scale was 0.89 for the total scale, and the range of Cronbach’s alpha for subfactors was .75 to .89, indicating that it is valid and reliable. The 16-item CF scale is a feasible and time-efficient tool for assessing the fatigue of cancer patients in the clinical setting. Healthcare providers may use this measurement tool to explore cancer patients’ fatigue and routinely track the effect of a customized intervention on CF. This study also informs healthcare providers in other countries about the fatigue characteristics of Korean cancer patients.

Role of supervisor, co-worker support, social network and group cohesiveness on employee intention to stay

Employee retention perspectives have become an issue of concern for most organisations keeping the plethora of changes occurring in the business landscape. Considering this, it has become imperative to understand the factors especially social factors that govern employee intention to stay in organisations. The study explores the implication of social factors like supervisor support, co-worker support, social network, and group cohesiveness on employee intention to stay in information technology firms in and around cities in North India. Earlier research have been conducted exploring the role of contextual factors on employee retention mostly in overseas perspectives, leaving grounds for further research particularly in the Indian context. Findings of the study indicate that group cohesiveness mediated the relationship of co-worker support and social network with employee intention to stay. Supervisor support on the other hand, had significant influence on employee intention to stay, apart from influencing social network and co-worker support.

Fütüvvete Dair Teliflerin Bir Süreği Olarak Ali Hemedânî’nin Risâle-i Fütüvvetiyye’sine Dair Bazı Mülahazalar

Futuwwa is considered a mystical concept as a moral ideal that we can see in almost every culture. Ṣūfīs blended futuwwa with mystical content in order to distinguish themselves from various futuwwa conceptions and experiences adopted by segments with different priorities. In this context, the principle of adherence to religious provisions was prioritized on the basis of the definitions of futuwwa, and the virtues aimed at protecting the law of others in social practices, especially generosity and altruism, constituted the essence of futuwwa. Melāmet, as an integral part of futuwwa, facilitated the applicability of futuwwa morality by glorifying the piety that one would live by hiding one's self in the network of social relations. In this direction, the ṣūfīs made various definitions and explanations about futuwwa, and with the emergence of ṣūfī literature, these words were also revealed in the first works under the titles of good morals or futuwwa. The futuwwa treatises, the first example of which we can see in Sulemī, are composed of narrations that ṣūfī sheikhs spoke about within religious boundaries and that reflect the morality of īsār. Apart from Sulemī's treatise, it is seen that futuwwa is only mentioned in the title of the subject in the first period ṣūfī classics. These works presented futuwwa as a sign of a perfect piety on the moral plane. However, it is seen that futuwwa took on an institutional structure in the sixth and seventh centuries of the hijra, later on gained an economic structure under the name of Ahi-order and continued its existence as an individual organization under the roof of Ṣūfīsm. In this period, when the organization became widespread in the community, detached works were written about futuwwa, the content of which was created in the form of a regulation. When we examine these treatises, we see that the futuwwa is now represented at the organizational level and that in addition to its moral dimension, some formal rules and rules of its own are formed. Conditions such as wearing a shalwar or belt, being male, sane, and reaching puberty can be counted among these. In addition, some principles were also laid down regarding the relationship of the members of the futuwwa with each other or with their pirs. On the other hand, St. Ali's leadership in futuwwa manifests itself as one of the main features of the futuwwatnāmes of this period. We come across many examples of futuwwatnāmes, especially the works of Suhrawardī and Ibn al-Mi'mār, one of them being the futuwwa treatise of Seyyid Ali Hemedānī, one of the Kubravī sheikhs. Hemedānī, who continued his life in the geography of India, played an important role in the rise of Islam in this region, and he received his mystical education from Maḥmūd Mezdekānī and Takıyyüddīn Ali Dostī, the caliphs of the Kubraviyya sheikh Alaüddevle Simnānī. The treatise translated into Turkish by Tāhir al-Mawlawī can be considered as an extension of the previous futuwwa in terms of revealing the mystical aspect of futuwwa, making descriptions that we can follow the relationship between ahi-order and futuwwa, continuing the understanding of futuwwa of the early ṣūfīs, and trying to draw the religious boundaries of futuwwa. In this study, the prominent features of the futuwvetnāmes written by some basic names such as Sulemī and Suhrawardī will be examined, and in the second title, Hemedānī's Risāle-i Fütüvvetiyye, which we can consider as an extension of this tradition, will be discussed over points.

Interpreting living urban-industrial heritage: The Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

In light of the studies related to the theory of interpretation of cultural heritage sites, the holistic interpretation approach of heritage areas has developed, and a new interpretation culture has emerged. It includes new approaches, local and regional interpretation strategies, new policies and comprehensive analysis and evaluations. The new interpretation culture is important not only to produce interpretation themes, but also to the transfer and sustainability of the values of heritage sites that need to be preserved to the society. In this context, studies are being brought up in order to find the most appropriate ways to understand and transfer living urban heritage sites; tangible and intangible values, existing or non-existent urban structures, ongoing or non-existent social and cultural practices, used or ongoing structures and all cultural and historical layers of areas. Beyond the current interpretation studies carried out for the heritage sites, it is important to develop interpretation strategies including the historical importance of the areas for living urban heritage sites and therefore complex cultural heritage areas, the connections to the places, cultural and social relations networks, urban memory, and the spirit of the place. For this purpose, the study focuses primarily on the critical viewpoint of theoretical content of the interpretation of cultural heritage sites. In the light of theoretical and practical knowledge, the research then concentrates on key themes and discussions on heritage interpretation in the UK. Accordingly, the research discusses the interpretation strategies in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham which is the one of the most influential areas by means of historical urban-industrial heritage site.

FIDELITY TO IRISH IDENTITY: ALLEGORY OF THE OUTSIDER IN JULIA O'FAOLAIN'S “FIRST CONJUGATION” AND JOHN MONTAGUE'S “AN OCCASION OF SIN”

Julia O’Faolain’s “First Conjugation” and John Montague’s “An Occasion of Sin” are contemporary short stories that have received critical attention. The authors’ attempts to renovate stylistic qualities of short story writing and to experiment with thematic issues in Irish literary tradition are main sources of this attention. This article examines the impact of outsiders who suddenly appear in a contemporary Irish setting in both works. Traditionally, Irish writers of fiction have pointed out a sense of isolation and solitude dominating the mind of Irish characters, which results in a network of dark and gloomy social relationships. The intervention of outsiders, however, renders this critical analysis exceptional in that outsiders disrupt social formations resulting in an identity crisis. O’Faolain’s “First Conjugation” introduces outsider image in the form of an Italian instructor who challenges the worldview of a young Irish girl, an insider in this setting. Depicted from the perspective of the Irish protagonist, the story illustrates how easily outsider challenges Irish identity. On the other hand, Montague’s “An Occasion of Sin” narrates outsider’s experience among Irish characters. The conflict between outsiders and insiders illustrates the urgent need for a renewal of Irish perceptions. Both texts focus on the aftermath of the arrival of outsiders among insiders leading to a climactic point of collision. Accordingly, this article reviews the relationship between outsiders and insiders in the selected works and argues that both texts appoint outsider as an allegory of questioning. Furthermore, the article concludes that outsider is a means of self-questioning that faces traditional notion of Irish identity and that eventually a solution to this inner conflict appears once again in the form of traditional fidelity.

Online or offline? The impact of environmental knowledge acquisition on environmental behavior of Chinese farmers based on social capital perspective

With the development of mobile internet, Chinese farmers have started to access diversified information through social media, on one hand, based on breadth of information. On the other hand, as most farmers still live in rural areas, their socio-economic characteristics and lifestyles are in homogeneous acquaintance social network relationships, i.e. interpersonal interactions in offline homogeneous networks are still considered as the way for farmers to access homogeneous information (breadth of information depth). Based on social capital theory, social networks are structural social capital where trust and reciprocity are known as a relational social capital. Further, this study divides structural social capital into connective social capital (social media access to information) and bonding social capital (offline interpersonal interaction access to information) based on the differences in their information sources. The empirical study finds that structural social capital has a positive impact on farmers’ environmental knowledge acquisition which influences their environmental behavior. In addition, relational social capital (trust and reciprocity) plays a mediating role in the influence of structural social capital on farmers’ environmental behavior.

Opportunities for non-governmental non-profit organizations and volunteering in dealing with pandemic covid-19 and emergencies in the South Bohemia Region

A pandemic is often simply perceived as a health problem, or as a health problem that needs to be overcome with the help of mathematical and statistical principles. The community dimension of coping with a pandemic, that is, achieving the necessary level of information and trust in the network of social relations in the society, is less perceived.In the first half of 2020, we could observe elements of such a community-based approach towards coping with a pandemic. People sewed masks for others, maintained social distance, and supported each other’s daily living needs. Conversely, in the second half of 2020 and in 2021, we can observe a deep crisis of trust in the state which, like an infection, is transmitted to the network of social ties and relationships throughout the society. This atmosphere is formed in the spirit of slogans such as ‘no one trusts anyone’, ‘no one can rely on anyone’, and ‘everyone cares only for himself’. Community work is one of the methods of social work which, on the contrary, seeks to overcome social problems by strengthening social capital in a community and society. This includes community and society awareness as well as generalised trust in a community and society. Contributions to this issue of Caritas et Veritas should therefore focus on the problem of information and communication in society, trust within society, and the role of helping professions in overcoming the pandemic and restoring both social ties and trust within society.

The Pandemic Plan of the Czech Republic and Pandemic Learning

A pandemic is often simply perceived as a health problem, or as a health problem that needs to be overcome with the help of mathematical and statistical principles. The community dimension of coping with a pandemic, that is, achieving the necessary level of information and trust in the network of social relations in the society, is less perceived.In the first half of 2020, we could observe elements of such a community-based approach towards coping with a pandemic. People sewed masks for others, maintained social distance, and supported each other’s daily living needs. Conversely, in the second half of 2020 and in 2021, we can observe a deep crisis of trust in the state which, like an infection, is transmitted to the network of social ties and relationships throughout the society. This atmosphere is formed in the spirit of slogans such as ‘no one trusts anyone’, ‘no one can rely on anyone’, and ‘everyone cares only for himself’. Community work is one of the methods of social work which, on the contrary, seeks to overcome social problems by strengthening social capital in a community and society. This includes community and society awareness as well as generalised trust in a community and society. Contributions to this issue of Caritas et Veritas should therefore focus on the problem of information and communication in society, trust within society, and the role of helping professions in overcoming the pandemic and restoring both social ties and trust within society.

SOCIAL NETWORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND DIGITAL MICROENTERPRISE GROWTH IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION

This paper aims to examine the role of social networking relationships in growing an informal sector digital microenterprise and the mediating effect of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO). Using data from 248 digital microenterprises in the informal sector of Senegal, this study utilizes multiple regression and Hayes process macro Model 4 to show that social networking relationships are positively associated with online informal microbusiness’ growth and IEO. It further reveals that IEO is related to digital microenterprise growth and partially mediates its link with social networking relationships. This study contributes to the social capital literature by showing that social relationships with external entities can provide resources to buffer against infrastructure and resource deficits and other growth challenges found in developing countries. It also extends the literature on IEO by facilitating a deeper understanding of individual entrepreneurial behaviors that can help transform resources from social networking relationships into growth in an informal digital environment.

Structural invariants and semantic fingerprints in the "ego network" of words.

Well-established cognitive models coming from anthropology have shown that, due to the cognitive constraints that limit our "bandwidth" for social interactions, humans organize their social relations according to a regular structure. In this work, we postulate that similar regularities can be found in other cognitive processes, such as those involving language production. In order to investigate this claim, we analyse a dataset containing tweets of a heterogeneous group of Twitter users (regular users and professional writers). Leveraging a methodology similar to the one used to uncover the well-established social cognitive constraints, we find regularities at both the structural and semantic levels. In the former, we find that a concentric layered structure (which we call ego network of words, in analogy to the ego network of social relationships) very well captures how individuals organise the words they use. The size of the layers in this structure regularly grows (approximately 2-3 times with respect to the previous one) when moving outwards, and the two penultimate external layers consistently account for approximately 60% and 30% of the used words, irrespective of the number of layers of the user. For the semantic analysis, each ring of each ego network is described by a semantic profile, which captures the topics associated with the words in the ring. We find that ring #1 has a special role in the model. It is semantically the most dissimilar and the most diverse among the rings. We also show that the topics that are important in the innermost ring also have the characteristic of being predominant in each of the other rings, as well as in the entire ego network. In this respect, ring #1 can be seen as the semantic fingerprint of the ego network of words.

Hill Climbing-Based Efficient Model for Link Prediction in Undirected Graphs

Link prediction is a key problem in the field of undirected graph, and it can be used in a variety of contexts, including information retrieval and market analysis. By “undirected graphs”, we mean undirected complex networks in this study. The ability to predict new links in complex networks has a significant impact on society. Many complex systems can be modelled using networks. For example, links represent relationships (such as friendships, etc.) in social networks, whereas nodes represent users. Embedding methods, which produce the feature vector of each node in a graph and identify unknown links, are one of the newest approaches to link prediction. The Deep Walk algorithm is a common graph embedding approach that uses pure random walking to capture network structure. In this paper, we propose an efficient model for link prediction based on a hill climbing algorithm. It is used as a cost function. The lower the cost is, the higher the accuracy for link prediction between the source and destination node will be. Unlike other algorithms that predict links based on a single feature, it takes advantage of multiple features. The proposed method has been tested over nine publicly available datasets, and its performance has been evaluated by comparing it to other frequently used indexes. Our model outperforms all of these measures, as indicated by its higher prediction accuracy.

Social Network Composition, Relationship Type, and Alcohol Use Among Young Adults Not in Four-Year College

Background: The drinking of social network members has been consistently associated with personal drinking. However, less attention has been paid to emerging adult populations outside of four-year college students and to potential moderators of this relationship. In a sample of emerging adults who never attended four-year college, this research examined: 1) the compositional characteristics of the social networks, 2) the association between the drinking of network members and personal drinking, and 3) how the association between network and personal drinking was moderated by relationship type (e.g., friend, parents, significant other). Methods: Data was provided by a sample of 525 emerging adults who participated in Qualtrics Panels. Results: In this noncollege sample, the composition of the social network was diverse, with roughly one-third of network members being friends and a little less than half being family members. Parents tended to consume alcohol more frequently than friends and significant others, but participants consumed alcohol more frequently with friends and significant others. Furthermore, drinking among friends and significant others tended to have stronger associations with personal alcohol use than drinking among parents. However, relationship type did not moderate the association between drinking with network members and personal alcohol use. Conclusions: Because of this, interventions need to be delivered to drinking groups.

A Dynamic Social Network Matching Model for Virtual Power Plants and Distributed Energy Resources with Probabilistic Linguistic Information

Virtual power plants (VPPs) offer an effective means to address the imbalance issue between electricity supply and demand to advance the world’s low-carbon development. To fully utilize the limited resources in the virtual power plant planning stage, a two-sided match between VPPs and distributed energy companies is needed to better implement resource aggregation management. Because of the vagueness in this matching environment, the probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) is necessary to apply to express the decision makers’ preference. Considering the complex social relationships and intense competition among companies, a dynamic social network two-sided matching model is proposed for solving the multi-attribute two-sided matching decision-making problem. Firstly, we present a matching satisfaction degree described by PLTS. A dynamic social trust degree based on the sliding time concept is proposed. Secondly, the social trust network relationships are built based on the direct and indirect dynamic trust degree among companies. This relationship is then combined with an improved trust rank algorithm to identify the most authoritative and the most trusted company to provide the target company with a recommendation for the next moment. Besides, given that companies compete for limited resources, we further define the competitive satisfaction degree and apply the two-sided matching model. Additionally, then a two-sided matching model is developed. Finally, our model is tested numerically to ensure its accuracy and reliability.

Francisco de Paula Brito: A Black Publisher in Imperial Brazil

Francisco de Paula Brito: A Black Publisher in Imperial Brazil

The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Social Capital on Innovation Performance in Chinese Small and Medium-sized Technological Enterprises : Knowledge Acquisition as a Mediating Variable

Entrepreneurs’ social capital (internal and external) refers to the extensive social relationship network established, developed and maintained by entrepreneurs inside and outside the enterprise. Based on the data of 506 entrepreneurs’ social capital collected through questionnaires, this study explores the impact of entrepreneurs’ social capital (internal and external) on knowledge acquisition and innovation performance in China’s SMTEs (Small and Medium-sized Technological Enterprises). The results show that the entrepreneurs’ social capital (internal and external) and knowledge acquisition have a significant positive impact on the innovation performance of Chinese SMTEs. Meanwhile, knowledge acquisition plays a mediating role in the relationship between entrepreneurs’ social capital and innovation performance.

Globalization or Glocalization? The Emerging Scholarship on Sport Match-Fixing in Light of Asian Context

This article aims to contribute to the body of knowledge in sport social science and to serve as a basis for refining the recent Asian scholarship related to sports corruption in general and match-fixing studies in particular. The main goal of this study is to synthesize the relevant evidence by reviewing the literature on documentary materials and conducting interviews with academics, media journalists, baseball coaches, and former professional baseball players. First, the results indicate that the emerging theoretical/conceptual and methodological frameworks of Asian match-fixing studies have been identified. Second, the relevant actors’ roles in their embedded structures entail that match-fixing can be better understood from different perspectives, which shape corrupted contexts. Third, this study concludes by providing the implications of its examination of the nuances of match-fixing; it articulates how Asian match-fixing cases shed light on the relevant conceptual implications and practical applications regarding the effect of different cultures and the associated social network relationships.

Social connectedness and cognitive decline

Social connectedness and cognitive decline

Climate Shocks and Social Networks: Understanding Adaptation among Rural Indian Households

This paper seeks to uncover the impact of negative rainfall shocks on household social network relationships. I leverage the uncertainty generated from fluctuating long-term rainfall patterns across India, to estimate the impact of heightened climate risks on investments in social network relationships. In so doing, I attempt to disentangle the “direct” and “adaptive” impacts of climate shocks on social network relationships. I found that households that experience higher than average negative rainfall shocks (lower than average rainfall levels over the long term) tend to invest more in family–caste and vertical or linked network relationships. These network relationships were also found to be associated with greater access to financial credit, credit sourced specifically from family members, higher reported collaboration, more diversified businesses, and the use of private irrigation technologies, all of which are key to mitigating the negative impacts of climate shocks. Unlike past research, these results suggest that households’ decisions to invest in social networks may be an adaptive response to higher climate risk. In terms of policy implications, these results highlight the importance of strengthening and supporting family-based and linked networks (such as links to local governmental agencies and extension services) in the face of higher climate risks.

The Idea and Becoming of a University Across Time and Space: Ivory Tower, Factory and Network

The modern university has grown from small scale, elite access institution, growing out of the Enlightenment period in Europe in the early nineteenth century. Freedom to pursue knowledge and ‘dare to know’ was a key characteristic of the Enlightenment university, conceptualised here as Mode 1 Elite Ivory Tower University. The twentieth century saw a rapid rise in national government involvement, funding and regulating universities as a way of nation state building. This developed within social contexts of neoliberal knowledge and information economies. Market demand and regulation, seeing teaching and research as products saw huge growth of universities in size and number globally. More citizens accessed and engaged with universities as large institutions, conceptualised here as a Mode 2 Mass Access Factory University. Globalisation, digital technologies and a move away from big organisations and states is seeing an emergence of a Mode 3 Universal Network University which is universal and unbundled in complex technological and social network relationships, often underpinned by a form of capitalism which is developing neoliberal approaches aided by data collection and information networks. These three modes are developed and explored here through a postdigital lens across time (genealogically) and space (residual, dominant and emerging discourses and cultures remaining in and between institutions) as a theoretical framework with which to research and envisage the characteristics, discourse, perceptions and becoming of the current and future university.