Sub-theme 51: Organizational Networks in Flux

Convenors:
Terry L. Amburgey
University of Toronto, Canada
Jörg Raab
Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Call for Papers


Organizational networks have been a central topic in organization theory over the last decade. In some cases the networks of interest are inter-organizational networks, collaborative endeavors between organizations; in other cases the networks of interest are intra-organizational networks comprised by interactions between individuals in an organization. Empirical analyses of both types of organizational networks have provided valuable insights into the nature and effects of structural characteristics, such as the relative efficiency of knowledge flow through networks with different structures.

 

However, network analyses per se have, more often than not, been static in nature. Even when information over time has been available, the temporal component has been set aside or aggregated to the end point of the study. Recently there has been increasing attention paid to network dynamics and network processes. Network dynamics and processes are the focus of this sub-theme.

We encourage the submission of papers that fall into three general areas:

  1. studies that shed more light on the underlying processes of causal relationships between structural characteristics and outcomes of inter-organizational networks;
  2. studies that look at actions of individuals and organizations in inter-organizational networks over time;
  3. studies that analyze and explain process patterns of inter-organizational networks or use them to explain various outcomes.

Research on the dynamic or processual aspects of organizational networks is also well suited to the general theme of the colloquia: assembly, disassembly, and reassembly. Attention to processes of creation, dissolution, and change sensitizes us to the ecological processes that may well drive the evolution of organizational networks. We therefore also welcome submissions concerned with:

  • the assembly (creation) of organizational networks, the effects of organizational networks on the assembly of organizations, or the effects of the assembly of organizations on organizational networks;
  • the disassembly (dissolution) of organizational networks, the effects of organizational networks on the disassembly of organizations, or the effects of organizational disassembly on organizational networks;
  • the reassembly (reorganization) of organizational networks, the effects of organizational networks on the reassembly of organizations, or the effects of organizational reassembly on organizational networks.

 

Terry L. Amburgey 
Jörg Raab