Robert Whitbred

Understanding the Ties that Bind: A Longitudinal Investigation of the Evolution of a Communication Network

Current understanding of the emergence of communication networks is hindered by at least two limitations: (a) studies tend to incorporate only 1 theoretical mechanism, and (b) studies tend to be cross-sectional. We address these concerns by analyzing the influence of 11 factors on the evolution of a communication network over 2 years. Our model is grounded in the multitheory, multilevel framework, and our analysis uses recently developed actor-oriented techniques for statistically modeling network emergence. Results suggest accurate and complete understanding of network evolution depends on studies simultaneously incorporating multiple theories that offer both complementary and contrasting explanations of the phenomenon.

CITYSCAPE: civil infostructure technology system for collaborative analysis, prediction, and evaluation

The goals of Project CITY (Civil Infostructure Technology) are to provide a technology demonstration of information infrastructure for civil infrastructure management and to demonstrate the Team Engineering Analysis and Modeling (TEAM) methodology in the analysis, design, and evaluation of that information infrastructure. The community of practice of Project CITY is the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) at a major Army installation. This paper focuses on the design of CITYSCAPE, the suite of software tools that have been developed for the DPW.

Cognitive Categorization and Network Perception: Cognitive Aggregated Social Structures in Opaque Networks

Abstract We extend the literature on network perception by introducing a novel view of how this perception is structured. We propose the concept of Cognitive Aggregated Social Structures (CASS) as a framework to capture perceptions of opaque networks – that is, networks where relations are difficult to observe due to their features, their members, and the characteristics of the environment in which they operate. We argue that actors simplify their perception of opaque network structures via “chunking,” that is, by cognitively representing network ties as between categories of actors rather than between specific network members. We test the validity of the CASS construct and its predictive power by showing how these representations affect actors’ perceptions of relevant network outcomes. Using data from a major inter-organizational technology consortium, we show that perceived density among “chunks” in the knowledge transfer network is positively related to perceived consortium performance. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the strategic management literature, highlighting potential contributions to strategic formulation and implementation, category emergence, industry evolution, and cognitive barriers to entry.

The influence of personal, relational, and contextual factors on forgiveness communication following transgressions: Personal, relational, and contextual factors

The way that individuals adapt to stress in their romantic relationships plays a major role in determining how satisfied they are in those relationships. This study used the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model as a framework to examine how individuals adapt to the stressful event of a relational transgression in their romantic relationships. This study specifically looked at the effect of individuals’ attachment dimensions and the equity of their relationships as factors that influenced how they used forgiveness strategies after a relational transgression occurred. The results of the study revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between the explicit strategy and dismissiveness, a significant positive relationship between the minimizing strategy and preoccupation, a significant positive relationship between the non-verbal strategy and preoccupation, a significant negative relationship between the non-verbal strategy and fear of intimacy, and a significant negative relationship between the conditional strategy and security/confidence and fear of intimacy. The results also revealed that there were significant group differences between equity groups and three of the five forgiveness strategies. The results also showed that there were significant relationships between transgression severity and four of the five forgiveness strategies. Finally, the results revealed that there was a significant relationship between relational satisfaction and three of the five forgiveness strategies.