1. Networks and Organizations
Chapter 5
Networks and Organizations
Lecture PowerPoint
© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

2. Social Groups
Social groups form the building blocks for society and for most social interaction.
The sociologist Georg Simmel argued that the key element in determining the form of social relations in a group is the size of the group.
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3. Social Groups
Simmel emphasized in particular the differences between social relations in a dyad (group of two) and a triad (group of three).
Dyad is the most intimate form of social life because the two members are mutually dependent on each other -- if one member leaves the group, the group ceases to exist.
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4. Social Groups
When a third person joins a dyad, that person can fill the role of:
Mediator, tertius gaudens — “the third that rejoices”
Divide et impera — divide and conquer
As group size increases, the number of possible relationships increase — in a group of three, three possible relationships exist, but in a group of four, six possible relationships exist.
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5. Social Groups Georg Simmel C. H. Cooley Small Groups Primary Groups
Parties
Secondary Groups
Large Groups
Other Group Types — in-groups, out-groups, reference groups
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6. Social Groups
The Asch Test is an experiment developed in the 1940s that shows how much people are influenced by the actions or norms of a group.
Photo Courtesy of Getty
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7. From Groups to Networks
A social network is a set of relations—a set of dyads—held together by ties between individuals.
A tie is a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network, while a narrative is the sum of the stories contained in a series of ties.
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8. From Groups to Networks
Embeddedness refers to the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network.
Mark Granovetter developed the concept of the “strength of weak ties” to explain that relatively weak ties can actually be quite valuable because they are more likely to provide new opportunities than a strongly embedded tie.
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9. From Groups to Networks
A structural hole is a gap between network clusters, or even between two people, who would benefit from having that gap closed.
Photo Courtesy of AP Photo, Credit: Lauren Greenfield/VII
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10. From Groups to Networks
Social capital
The information, knowledge of people or ideas, and connections that help individuals enter preexisting networks or gain power in them.
The existence of high levels of social capital in a community generally means that the community is tightly knit and can come together to face challenges and make improvements.
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11. From Groups to Networks
Many opinions exist about changes in social capital in the United States during the past fifty or so years.
Some perceive a decline in civic engagement.
Some argue that we have less time to devote to traditional community activities while others say that the advent of the Internet has created new ways of bringing people together.
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12. Network Analysis in Practice
Researchers use basic concepts about groups and social networks.
Concepts like embeddedness, the differences between dyads and triads, and group conformity are used to investigate how group life shapes individual behavior.
This type of investigation is referred to as network analysis.
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13. Organizations
An organization is any social network that is defined by a common purpose and has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world.
Formal organizations have a set of governing structures and rules for their internal set-up while informal organizations do not.
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14. Organizations
Organizational culture can be defined as the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group.
Organizational structure refers to ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization.
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15. Organizations
Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell are part of a school of thought called new institutionalism, which tries to develop a sociological view of institutions. They coined the phrase “institutional isomorphism.”
Isomorphism is a constraining process that forces one organization to resemble others that face the same set of environmental conditions.
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16.   The Wealth of Networks
The Internet has facilitated an open-source, or peer-based, production model, which promotes access to the end product’s source materials.
Wikipedia and Linux are two examples of open-source platforms.
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17. Concept Quiz
1. One of the unique characteristics of a dyad is that _______. a) each member exerts supra-individual control over the other b) there is an inherent asymmetry to the relationship c) if one member of the group leaves, the group ceases to exist d) All of the above e) None of the above
Answer: C
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18. Concept Quiz
2. Jose goes to a training session for election volunteers in his precinct. There are fifteen participants and two trainers. This would be an example of which kind of group? a) A party b) A large group c) A primary group d) A small group
Answer: B
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19. Concept Quiz
3. ________ refers to the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network. a) Isomorphism b) The strength of weak ties c) Embeddedness d) Connectivity
Answer: C
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20. Concept Quiz
4. A structural hole is _______. a) a weak tie in a social network that eventually breaks b) a gap between two people or two groups that have complementary resources and could benefit from having a closer connection c) a lack of social capital in a community d) a gap in the data collected as part of a network analysis
Answer: B
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21. Concept Quiz
5. Organizational culture refers to _______. a) the embedded ties that connect members of a formal social network b) the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group c) the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization d) whether an organization uses an autocratic or consultative decision-making process
Answer: B
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22. Figure 5.1 | Political Relations Within a Triad

23. Figure 5.2 | Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity

24. Figure 5.2 | Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity

25. Figure 5.2 | Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity

26. Figure 5.2 | Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity

27. Figure 5.2 | Relationship Between Group Size and Complexity

28. Figure 5.3 | The Asch Test

29. Figure 5.4 | The Strength of Weak Ties

30. Figure 5.5 | Analysis of High-School Sexual Relationships

31. Figure 5.6 | Models for Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

32. Figure 5.6 | Models for Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

33. Figure 5.6 | Models for Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

34. Figure 5.6 | Models for Spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

35. Figure 5.7 | Romantic “Leftovers”

36. Figure 5.8 | Events of the French Revolution

37. Figure 5.9 | Analysis of the Chinese Revolution

38. Figure 5.10 | How Nazis Became Nazis

39. Table 5.1 | Software