Dynamics of Networks if Everyone Strives for Structural Holes

Buskens, Vincent; Rijt, Arnout van de

doi:10.1086/590674

Cited by 239 publications

(154 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…For example, social capital researchers often assume that goal-oriented actors seek out different network positions for the benefits those positions provide. More recent research has shown, however, that network-based benefits cannot be sustained when all actors share the primary objective of achieving those benefits and these objectives are common knowledge (Ryall and Sorenson, 2007;Buskens and van de Rijt, 2008). Our findings reinforce this lesson for a different but related reason.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Commitment, Learning, and Alliance Performance: A Formal Analysis Using an Agent-Based Network Formation Model

Anjos

Reagans

2013

The Journal of Mathematical Sociology

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Current theoretical arguments highlight a dilemma faced by actors who either adopt a weak or strong commitment strategy for managing their alliances and partnerships. Actors who pursue a weak commitment strategy-i.e. immediately abandon current partners when a more profitable alternative is presented-are more likely to identify the most rewarding alliances. On the other hand, actors who enact a strong commitment approach are more likely to take advantage of whatever opportunities can be found in existing partnerships. Using agent-based modeling, we show that actors who adopt a moderate commitment strategy overcome this dilemma and outperform actors who adopt either weak or strong commitment approaches. We also show that avoiding this dilemma rests on experiencing a related tradeoff: moderately-committed actors sacrifice short-term performance for the superior knowledge and information that allows them to eventually do better.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Commitment, Learning, and Alliance Performance: A Formal Analysis Using an Agent-Based Network Formation Model

Anjos

Reagans

2013

The Journal of Mathematical Sociology

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“…they can tie cohesive network communities together into a small-world social system; impact the availability of entrepreneurial opportunities in the network; and affect the stratification of social systems (Buskens and Van de Rijt 2008). Thus, understanding the determinants of bridging ties, which has been the thrust of this study, sheds additional light on the complex, multi-level dynamics of how complex social systems arise and evolve.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Toward a Theory of Extended Contact: The Incentives and Opportunities for Bridging Across Network Communities

Sytch

Tatarynowicz

Gulati

2012

Organization Science

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This study investigates the determinants of bridging ties within networks of interconnected firms. Bridging ties are defined as non-redundant connections between firms located in different network communities. We highlight how firms can enter into these relationships due to the incentives and opportunities for action that are embedded in the existing network structure. Specifically, we propose that the dynamics of proximate network structures, which reflect firms" and their partners" direct connections, affect the formation of bridging ties by shaping the value-creation and value-distribution incentives for bridging. We also argue that the evolving global network structure affects firms" propensity to form bridging ties by shaping the structural opportunities for bridging. We test our theory using the network of partnership ties among firms in the global computer industry from 1991 to 2005. We find support for structural incentives and opportunities as influential precursors of bridging ties.

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“…The statement, also applies to any refinement of pairwise stability, e.g. bilateral stability (Goyal and Vega-Redondo 2007), unilateral stability (Buskens and van de Rijt 2008), strong stability (Dutta and Mutuswami 1997), and weak stability (Dutta and Mutuswami 1997). Moroever, for the notion of pairwise stability with transfers it is possible to state a similar result, which is however restricted to the utilitarian welfare function.…”

Section: Definition 5 a Utility Function U I Is Concave (In Own Linksmentioning

confidence: 98%

Under-connected and over-connected networks: the role of externalities in strategic network formation

Buechel

Hellmann

2012

Rev Econ Design

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Since the seminal contribution of Jackson and Wolinsky (J Econ Theory 71(1): 1996) it has been widely acknowledged that the formation of social networks exhibits a general conflict between individual strategic behavior and collective outcome. What has not been studied systematically are the sources of inefficiency. We approach this omission by analyzing the role of positive and negative externalities of link formation. This yields general results that relate situations of positive externalities with stable networks that cannot be "too dense" in a well-defined sense, while situations with negative externalities tend to induce "too dense" networks. Those results are neither restricted to specific assumptions on the agents' preferences (e.g. homogeneity), nor to a specific notion of stability or efficiency.

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Dynamics of Networks if Everyone Strives for Structural Holes

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Cited by 239 publications

References 44 publications

Commitment, Learning, and Alliance Performance: A Formal Analysis Using an Agent-Based Network Formation Model

Commitment, Learning, and Alliance Performance: A Formal Analysis Using an Agent-Based Network Formation Model

Toward a Theory of Extended Contact: The Incentives and Opportunities for Bridging Across Network Communities

Under-connected and over-connected networks: the role of externalities in strategic network formation

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