The spontaneity of social network: a possibility for re-enchanting network study?

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract Purpose -For current works, agents create social network by drawing on the knowledge of their immediate environment, and they use network for cooperating with one another and for promoting their own economic and social interests. The purpose of this paper is to aid in re-enchanting network study, and present network as spontaneous social construction. Design/methodology/approach -The paper draws on Hayek's spontaneous order. For Hayek, agents have access to a wide knowledge about social system, and use this knowledge to spontaneously coordinate with each other in the pursuit of their self-interests. Findings -The authors develop the idea by presenting and performing an analogy of Hayek's spontaneous order to emergent structures. The result of this analogy is a conception of network dynamics wherein the spontaneous social construction of network structures is achieved by agents who have knowledge of the interaction rules that guide structures production, and who, by drawing on this knowledge, are able to influence the emergence of network structures. Agents thus spontaneously contribute to the emergence of a network, to its growth, and its decline. Originality/value -This new conception of network focusses on the processes of the social construction of network structures. It provides a better account of network change and development than current works, and because it stresses the spontaneous, fragile and ephemeral character of network, it can prove useful for the re-enchantment of network studies.

Criticality: How Changes Preserve Stability in Self-Organizing Systems

“…They cannot, however, be strongly sanctioned rules or institutional rules, because these tightly constrain agents. It is therefore plausible that simple rules are prevalent in teams (Hutchins, 1991(Hutchins, , 1995, innovative project groups, innovative organizations (Garud et al, 2011) and nonhierarchical networks (Accard & Assens, 2014;Kogut, 2000). They can also be prevalent in large organizations, where hierarchical and bureaucratic structures are weak (Marion & Uhl-Bien, 2001;Osborn & Hunt, 2007;Romme, 1999aRomme, , 1999b.…”

“…Our theory thus lends itself to further research on several interesting issues such as the way in which hierarchical structures and self-organizing combine (Accard, 2015;Romme, 1999aRomme, , 1999b, and how a spontaneous change or a crisis on a team or in an organization disorganizes local components, and how this change or crisis, over time, diffuses to the whole team or organization (Ashmos Plowman et al, 2007;Hutchins, 1991Hutchins, , 1995Madden et al, 2012;Weick, 1993). New empirical work could be carried out on organization or network co-construction with environment (Accard & Assens, 2014;Graetz & Smith, 2011;Kogut, 2000;Schreyögg & Sydow, 2010;) as well as other specific issues, such as the emergence of social communities (Wilhoit & Kisselburg, 2015).…”