Lecture 1

Question 1

wicked problem

Answer 1

a problem that is difficult to solve because of incomplete, contradictory and changing requirements

Question 2

what is a social network

Answer 2

set of nodes and ties representing some relationship or absence of relationship among actors

Question 3

A social tie can be…

Answer 3

binary = present or absent
valued = frequency, intensity
directed or undirected

Question 4

types of social ties

Answer 4

state-type ties (continuity over time, open-ended persistence/not permanent)
event-type ties (discrete and transitory nature, can be counted over periods of time)

Question 5

realist

Answer 5

there is one true network of relationships out there and it is a researcher’s job to discover it

Question 6

nominalist

Answer 6

every network question that researchers ask has its own network

Question 7

homophilous

Answer 7

people tend to have tie4s with people similar to themselves

Question 8

bridging ties

Answer 8

potential source of novel ideas (linking a person who is not connected)

Question 9

structural holes theory

Answer 9

concerned with ego networks (the power of a person bridging the whole ego)

Question 10

advantages of structural holes

Answer 10

the shape of A is likely to afford more novel information than B and may perform better in a given setting
A is connected to three pools of information and is more likely to receive nonredundant information
A has the ability to control information flow between disconnected alters

Question 11

why do networks matter in organizations?

Answer 11

• understanding informal networks in organizations
• making organizations perform better
• advice networks uncover source of political conflicts and failure to achieve objectives
• trust networks reveal causes of nonroutine problems
• communication networks help identify gaps in information flow