SOCIAL NETWORKS Social Network Theory is a large and mature topic which cannot be covered fully in this review. In particular, the works of Granovetter, Burt, and Coleman, which are discussed below, form large bodies of work on their own, and have generated an even larger volume of secondary research and analysis. This review will remain limited to introducing their core theories, and addressing some of the secondary research in order to give the reader a general introductory understanding of Social Network Theory, and in particular aspects that impact on understanding innovation programming. WHAT IS S SOCIAL NETWORK? Borgatti & Halgin (2011) observed that the term ‘social network’ has developed to mean anything from a private club to a website and can therefore lead to some confusion. They describe a network as “a set of actors or nodes along with a set of ties of a specified type…that link them.” These ties connect via shared points to link nodes that are not directly linked themselves, the nodes being individuals, or actors in the network. Unlike groups, networks do not have natural boundaries, and they do not need to be connected internally. These disconnected parts of the network can become connected over time, meaning networks are fluid and ever changing. THE STRENGTH OF WEAK TIES Taking the Small World Theory further, the type of connections within a network, and in particular those used to travel across networks, were described as Weak and Strong ties by Mark Granovetter, in The Strength of Weak Ties (1973). He defined weak ties as contacts that are less likely to be ‘socially involved’ with each other than strong tie contacts, or close friends. Consequently, he observed that a network of acquaintances, or weak ties, will be a low-density network where many of the potential relationships have yet to be made. However, a strong tie network of close friends is likely to be highly connected, where most people know each other. The early research by Granovetter (1973) demonstrated that people were more likely to hear about new job opportunities though acquaintances (weak ties) than through close friends (strong ties) because acquaintances are more likely to be privy to information that is not known already by an actor or their close friends. The theory of weak ties was developed in relation to finding jobs but in the wider social network theory it also describes the spread of diseases, proliferation of ideas, and evolution of species, thus it is ubiquitous across organic structures (Borgatti & Halgin 2011). The real-world equivalent that Granovetter explores is the concept of a person, A, who has a very strong network of close friends, most of whom know each other as well as A. At the same time, B has an equivalent strong network of close friends. Within these two networks there is a lot of duplication, and very little novelty. What A knows and shares with a few friends rapidly spreads around her network because everyone knows everyone. Information spreads exponentially because what A tells to 3 people gets told by them to 3 people each, and from there to 3 more people. As most of these people are connected, the information rapidly becomes redundant, in that everyone has already heard it. The same applies to B’s network. When A and B meet each other, they are not only creating the value of sharing what each of them individually knows, be it knowledge, skills, or access, but they are also creating a bridge between their two much larger, but closed networks. A and B are weak ties; acquaintances with very little duplication between their networks and knowledge (Granovetter 2012) and they have the potential to bring new ideas, information, and people to their own network. By doing this they have a value to the others, and by connecting these two networks they create value (Borgatti & Halgin 2011). Granovetter (1973, 1983, 2012) argues that people are socially disadvantaged if they do not have weak tie networks, and bridges out of their own strong tie network of close friends and family. Such people do not have access to information and knowledge that exists outside their immediate network, and this may affect their ability to hear about job opportunities (Granovetter, 1973). When applied to innovation, it means they are isolated from information about problems that need solutions, solutions to problems, and opportunities (Granovetter 2012). THANK YOU!!
