Competitive Learning in Yardstick Competition: Testing Models of Policy Diffusion With Performance Data

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Ward ◽  
Peter John
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Policy Diffusion ◽  
Policy Innovation ◽  
Competitive Learning ◽  
Competitive Pressure ◽  
Yardstick Competition ◽  
International Boundaries

Organizations that learn from others’ successful policies not only become more competitive because their policies improve but also avoid the costs of policy innovation. While economists have widely recognized latecomer advantage, the policy diffusion literature in political science has failed to emphasize the connection between learning and competition. This article distinguishes competitive learning from learning that is not driven by competitive pressure (that is, ‘pure learning’). It models policy diffusion as a game played on social networks that govern competitive pressure and the possibilities of information transfer. The article develops an empirical test for competitive learning using spatial lags, which are applied to data on the performance of larger English local authorities from 2002 to 2006. Evidence is found for both competitive learning and pure learning. The sharper distinction between causal mechanisms proposed in this article should be widely applicable to diffusion across international boundaries and sub-national units.

The Role of Social Networking in the Social Reform of Young Society

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emad Abu-Shanab ◽  
Mushera Frehat
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Reform ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Work

Social networks are virtual communication sites that allow its participants to connect, building relationships, and collaborate on social issues. It became part of our lives and spread rapidly among youth. Young people join these sites to keep strong relationships with friends and to make new ones. Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors that influence the intention to use social networking sites (SNSs) to gain better position in the social reform among young people. This study developed an integrated theoretical model which has five major factors that predict the intention to use SNSs. An empirical test was conducted, where a sample of 302 university students and an instrument containing 27 items was used. The results provide consistent evidence that all hypothesized positive associations exist except for the isolation variable. After taking into account different demographic and attitudinal variables, Facebook use still predicted respondents' social reform. The future work might focus on a specific context such as the effects of using social networks on education, and focus on students' environment in education and the influence of social network. Detailed results, conclusions and future work are stated in later sections.

scholarly journals Phenotypic assortment in wild primate networks: implications for the dissemination of information

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 140444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alecia J. Carter ◽  
Alexander E. G. Lee ◽  
Harry H. Marshall ◽  
Miquel Torrents Ticó ◽  
Guy Cowlishaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Considerable Variability ◽  
Papio Ursinus ◽  
Phenotypic Assortment ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Transfer Of Information

Individuals' access to social information can depend on their social network. Homophily—a preference to associate with similar phenotypes—may cause assortment within social networks that could preclude information transfer from individuals who generate information to those who would benefit from acquiring it. Thus, understanding phenotypic assortment may lead to a greater understanding of the factors that could limit the transfer of information between individuals. We tested whether there was assortment in wild baboon ( Papio ursinus ) networks, using data collected from two troops over 6 years for six phenotypic traits—boldness, age, dominance rank, sex and the propensity to generate/exploit information—using two methods for defining a connection between individuals—time spent in proximity and grooming. Our analysis indicated that assortment was more common in grooming than proximity networks. In general, there was homophily for boldness, age, rank and the propensity to both generate and exploit information, but heterophily for sex. However, there was considerable variability both between troops and years. The patterns of homophily we observed for these phenotypes may impede information transfer between them. However, the inconsistency in the strength of assortment between troops and years suggests that the limitations to information flow may be quite variable.

Summary of Book and Argument

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Neal Devins ◽  
Lawrence Baum
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Science Models

This chapter provides an overview of the book. After documenting the Supreme Court’s movement toward ideological divisions that closely follow party lines, it explains why traditional political science models offer incomplete answers. The book then introduces a perspective based on social psychology that emphasizes the importance of elite audiences to the justices. It argues that the strongest influences on justices from outside of the Court are the elite social networks of which they are a part. Justices’ concern with their reputations in those powerful networks can dramatically shape their perspectives and their choices as decision makers in America’s highest Court.

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