Workshop in Social Network Analysis
[3 ECTS]
Participants: the workshop is dedicated to students enrolled in one of the following Master’s
degree programs: MLS, LAV and COM (both first and second year). The maximum number of
participants to the workshop is limited to 45 students, and in the case of exceeding the number
of applicants, the priority will be given students that have applied in primus.
Application: Send an e-mail to mara.borgia@unimi.it
Objectives of the workshop:
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The main objective of the workshop is to familiarize the students with the theory,
methodology and research associated with social network analysis in organizational
contexts.
Upon completion of the course, the students are expected to obtain basic skills and
competences in assembling, organizing, and analyzing network data by utilizing
UCINET software package.
Short description: Social network analysis (SNA) emphasizes the importance of relationships
among social units at different levels of analysis and centers on the ideas of embeddedness,
structural patterning, and usefulness of social connections. Unlike the traditional social and
behavioral science approaches, which focus on characteristics, behaviors and choices of
independent social units without taking in consideration the behavior of others, SNA views
characteristics, behaviors and choices of the social units as interdependent, that is, arising from
the structural patterns and relational processes that depict given social structural environment
in which these social units are embedded. Recognizing its importance for a more profound
understanding of various behavioral phenomena of interest, the organizational science scholars
have been increasingly applying SNA in their research. This workshop is structured in a way to
cover the fundamental aspects underpinning social network research and its combination with
the traditional social science approaches. For this purpose, a number of selected academic
articles will be reviewed and discussed in the classes. Moreover, the students will be offered the
opportunity to familiarize with the standard tools applied in SNA by using the UCINET software.
Requirements for the workshop: The students are required to bring with them laptops
on classes in order to install and use the UCINET software. The software is free of charge for the
first 90 days after the installation, which is a sufficient period for covering the whole duration of
the course.
Duration of the workshop: Five meetings of four hours.
Evaluation method:
Class contribution and homework
(group presentations, homework and involvement in class discussions)
100%
*Required attendance for eligibility to pass the final exam: at least 80% of the meetings
The workshop will require students to read academic articles prior to the meetings and to
prepare classroom group presentations. The composition of the groups will be arranged during
the first meeting of the workshop. Depending on the number of students enrolled into the
workshop, each group should present and discuss the assigned articles at least once during the
course of the workshop. The articles that are going to be presented by students are under the
lines of “required readings”. On the other hand, “suggested readings” are optional and students
may decide to read them or not depending on their interests. Moreover, students will be given
homework exercises for practicing the application of basic SNA tools in UCINET.
Language: The workshop will be entirely held in English.
Program of the workshop:
1st Meeting (3rd May, 2016 14:30 – 18:30)
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Presentation of the workshop, and assigning articles to be presented by groups of
students
Introduction to social network analysis, its relevance in contemporary social science
research, and particularly, in organization science research.
Formal vs. informal relations
Suggested readings:
Kilduff, M. and Brass, D.J. (2010). Organizational social network research: Core ideas and key
debates. The Academy of Management Annals, 4(1), 317-357.
Soda, G. and Zaheer, A. (2012). A network perspective on organizational architecture: Performance
effects of the interplay of formal and informal organization. Strategic Management Journal,
33(6), 751-771.
2nd Meeting (10th May, 2016 14:30 – 18:30)
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Basic concepts in SNA and graph theory
The strength of weak ties vs. strong ties perspective of social capital
Social network methods and data collection
Familiarizing with UCINET software
o Installing UCINET
o Creating working folder in UCINET
o Importing data
o Visualization using NetDraw
o Basic network matrices transformations
o Exercises
Required readings:
(Group presentations of articles. Each group is supposed to read only the assigned article):
Coleman, J.S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology,
94, 95-120.
Granovetter, M.S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 13601380.
3th Meeting (17th May, 2016 14:30 – 18:30)
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Intra-organizational social/relational capital and its impact on individual
performance
Familiarizing with UCINET software
o Basic network metrics (Cohesion, sub-groups and clusters)
Required readings:
(Group presentations of articles. Each group is supposed to read only the assigned article):
Baer, M. (2010). The strength-of-weak-ties perspective on creativity: A comprehensive examination
and extension. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(3), 592-601.
Moran, P. (2005). Structural vs relational embeddedness: social capital and managerial performance.
Strategic Management Journal, 41, 464-476.
Perry-Smith, J.E. (2006). Social yet creative: The role of social relationships in facilitating individual
creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 49, 85-101.
Oh, H., Myung Ho, C. and Labianca, G. (2004). Group social capital and group effectiveness: the role
of informal socializing ties. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 860-875.
Suggested readings:
Nahapiet, J. and Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and the organizational
advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(2), 242-266.
4th Meeting (24th May, 2016 14:30 – 18:30)
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More advanced centrality measures (closeness and betweenness centrality) and
structural holes
The concept of “small-world”
Application of social network analysis in human resource management
Familiarizing with UCINET software
o Network metrics (Centrality and power)
o Ego-network centrality
Required readings :
(Group presentations of articles. Each group is supposed to read only the assigned article):
Burt, R.S. (2004). Structural holes and good ideas. American Journal of Sociology, 110, 349-399.
Carboni, I. and Ehrlich, K. (2013). The effect of relational and team characteristics on individual
performance: A social network perspective. Human Resource Management, 52(4), 511-535.
Carnabuci, G. and Dioszegi, B. (2015). Social networks, cognitive style, and innovation performance:
A contingency perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 58(3), 881-905.
Uzzi, B. and Spiro, J. (2005). Collaboration and creativity: The small world problem. American
Journal of Sociology, 111(2), 447-504.
5th Meeting (31st May, 2016 14:30 – 18:30)
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Antecedents of network variables
HR practices that may shape the interpersonal relations in workplace
Familiarizing with UCINET software
o Exercises
Required readings:
(Group presentations of articles. Each group is supposed to read only the assigned article):
Ahuja, G., Soda, G. and Zaheer, A. (2012). Genesis and dynamics of organizational networks.
Organization Science, 23, 434-448.
Oh, H. and Kilduff, M. (2008). The ripple effect of personality on social structure: Self-monitoring
origins of network brokerage. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(5), 1155-1164.
Tasselli, S., Kilduff, M. and Menges, J.I. (2015). The microfoundations of organizational social
networks: A review and an agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 41(5), 13611387.
Zaheer, A. and Soda, G. (2009). Network evolution: The origins of structural holes. Administrative
Science Quarterly, 54(1), 1-31.
Suggested readings:
KaŠe, R., Paauwe, J. and Zupan, N. (2009). HR practices, interpersonal relations, and intrafirm
knowledge transfer in knowledge-intensive firms: A social network perspective. Human
Resource Management, 48(4), 615-639.