Deborah E. Gibbons

NETWORK STRUCTURE AND INNOVATION AMBIGUITY EFFECTS ON DIFFUSION IN DYNAMIC ORGANIZATIONAL FIELDS

Computational modeling simulated innovation diffusion through six prototypical interregional network structures and two distributions of partnering tendencies in dynamic organizational fields. Comp...

Individual and structural origins of friendship and social position among professionals.

Friendship affects individual and organizational well-being through direct relations, social positions, and complex network structures. In this study, the authors use longitudinal data from 2 groups of masters of business administration students to increase understanding of how friendship networks develop. The authors propose and test a dynamic model in which attribute similarity facilitates dyadic friendship ties, as well as similar network centrality and social position; early friendship increases later similarity in structural position and centrality; and early structural similarity enhances the likelihood of future friendship. Findings largely supported the model, demonstrating how homophily and early social contacts can jointly shape maturing friendship networks.

Designing Referral Network Structures and Decision Rules to Streamline Provision of Urgent Health and Human Services

Thisstudyusesfullyfactorialcomputersimulationtoidentifyreferralnetworkattributes and referral decision rules that streamline the routing of people to urgent, limited services. As an example of a scenario, the model represents vaccine delivery in a city of 100,000 people during the first 30 days of a pandemic. By modeling patterns of communication among health care providers and daily routing of overflow clients to affiliated organizations, the simulations determine cumulative effects of referral network designs and decision rules on citywide delivery of available vaccines. Referral networks generally improve delivery rates when compared with random local search by clients. Increasing the health care organizations’ tendencies to form referral partnerships from zero to about four partners per organization sharply increases vaccine delivery under most conditions, but further increases in partnering yield little or no gain in system performance. When making referrals, probabilistic selection among partner organizations that have any capacity to deliver vaccines is more effective than selection of the highest-capacity partner, except when tendencies to form partnerships are very low. Implications for designing health and human service referral networks and helping practitioners optimize their use of the networks are discussed. Suggestions for using simulations to model comparable systems are provided.

Exploring communication media options in an inter-organizational disaster response coordination network using agent-based simulation

Abstract Large-scale disasters require rapid, well-coordinated responses from many organizations. This coordination involves extensive communication about specific needs, resource availability, optimal sizes and packaging of goods, and location and timing of deliveries. Faster, more accurate communication within the disaster response network translates to more effective response at the disaster site. This article presents a modeling project that assessed the effects of distinct communication media on response times within a centralized network. In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides support and coordination among numerous responding agencies. An initial agent-based simulation model incorporated data from participant interviews and FEMA documentation about communication processes among response organization representatives. This model tracked effects of meetings, meeting scheduling, and bulletins on time required to complete the processing of requests. Following a second round of interviews and detailed observations during a national disaster exercise, we built a second agent-based simulation model that varied usage of email, phone, and face-to-face communications alongside a centralized information system and tracked the processing of anticipated, standard, and non-standard resource requests. Results show significant effects of different combinations of communication media on response times. Recommendations based on the study include: resist the temptation to schedule more than one meeting per day; use bulletins to disseminate information updates; supplement the centralized information system with direct interpersonal communication media such as email; and for unusual or difficult requests enable representatives to have in-person conversations or the closest alternative such as video teleconferencing with screen-sharing.

INDIVIDUAL AND STRUCTURAL ORIGINS OF FRIENDSHIP AND SOCIAL POSITION AMONG PROFESSIONALS.

Friendship affects individual and organizational well-being through direct relations, social positions, and complex network structures. In this study, the authors use longitudinal data from 2 groups of masters of business administration students to increase understanding of how friendship networks develop. The authors propose and test a dynamic model in which attribute similarity facilitates dyadic friendship ties, as well as similar network centrality and social position; early friendship increases later similarity in structural position and centrality; and early structural similarity enhances the likelihood of future friendship. Findings largely supported the model, demonstrating how homophily and early social contacts can jointly shape maturing friendship networks.