scholarly journals Determining the University’s Position in a Multi-stakeholder Collaborative Network

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-23
Author(s):  
Tracie Evans Reding
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Collaborative Network ◽  
Informal Network ◽  
Urban University ◽  
Formal Network ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The University

Complex problems are being approached through collaborations that cross sectors including businesses, nonprofits, public institutions, and academia. Social Network Analysis (SNA) methods have been adopted to help manage these large collaborations, and it is useful not only for exploring the network dynamics of the collaboration as a whole, but also for exploring where an individual organization lies within the network. Universities can benefit from understanding their position and ties within a network and utilize that information to strengthen their position within these collaborations while fostering collaborations within the network. This study applied SNA to determine the influential position of an urban university within a multi-stakeholder collaborative network (MSCN). The university in this study holds more formal intra-sector relationships and more informal inter-sector relationships with the organization types in the MSCN. The findings also show that the university does hold a prominent position within the informal network of the MSCN; however, it does not hold a position of prominence within the formal network of the MSCN. Fostering these formal and informal relationships would allow the university to strategically promote beneficial collaborations for the university and the network as a whole.

scholarly journals A case study of university student networks and the COVID-19 pandemic using a social network analysis approach in halls of residence

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Alberto Benítez-Andrades ◽  
Tania Fernández-Villa ◽  
Carmen Benavides ◽  
Andrea Gayubo-Serrenes ◽  
Vicente Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
University Students ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Centrality Measures ◽  
Structural Behaviour ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The University

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has meant that young university students have had to adapt their learning and have a reduced relational context. Adversity contexts build models of human behaviour based on relationships. However, there is a lack of studies that analyse the behaviour of university students based on their social structure in the context of a pandemic. This information could be useful in making decisions on how to plan collective responses to adversities. The Social Network Analysis (SNA) method has been chosen to address this structural perspective. The aim of our research is to describe the structural behaviour of students in university residences during the COVID-19 pandemic with a more in-depth analysis of student leaders. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at one Spanish Public University, León, from 23th October 2020 to 20th November 2020. The participation was of 93 students, from four halls of residence. The data were collected from a database created specifically at the university to "track" contacts in the COVID-19 pandemic, SiVeUle. We applied the SNA for the analysis of the data. The leadership on the university residence was measured using centrality measures. The top leaders were analyzed using the Egonetwork and an assessment of the key players. Students with higher social reputations experience higher levels of pandemic contagion in relation to COVID-19 infection. The results were statistically significant between the centrality in the network and the results of the COVID-19 infection. The most leading students showed a high degree of Betweenness, and three students had the key player structure in the network. Networking behaviour of university students in halls of residence could be related to contagion in the COVID-19 pandemic. This could be described on the basis of aspects of similarities between students, and even leaders connecting the cohabitation sub-networks. In this context, Social Network Analysis could be considered as a methodological approach for future network studies in health emergency contexts.

scholarly journals Identification of cohesive subgroups in a university hall of residence during the COVID-19 pandemic using a social network analysis approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Marqués-Sánchez ◽  
Arrate Pinto-Carral ◽  
Tania Fernández-Villa ◽  
Ana Vázquez-Casares ◽  
Cristina Liébana-Presa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
University Students ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The One ◽  
Relationship Structure ◽  
The University

AbstractThe aims: (i) analyze connectivity between subgroups of university students, (ii) assess which bridges of relational contacts are essential for connecting or disconnecting subgroups and (iii) to explore the similarities between the attributes of the subgroup nodes in relation to the pandemic context. During the COVID-19 pandemic, young university students have experienced significant changes in their relationships, especially in the halls of residence. Previous research has shown the importance of relationship structure in contagion processes. However, there is a lack of studies in the university setting, where students live closely together. The case study methodology was applied to carry out a descriptive study. The participation consisted of 43 university students living in the same hall of residence. Social network analysis has been applied for data analysis. Factions and Girvan–Newman algorithms have been applied to detect the existing cohesive subgroups. The UCINET tool was used for the calculation of the SNA measure. A visualization of the global network will be carried out using Gephi software. After applying the Girvan–Newman and Factions, in both cases it was found that the best division into subgroups was the one that divided the network into 4 subgroups. There is high degree of cohesion within the subgroups and a low cohesion between them. The relationship between subgroup membership and gender was significant. The degree of COVID-19 infection is related to the degree of clustering between the students. College students form subgroups in their residence. Social network analysis facilitates an understanding of structural behavior during the pandemic. The study provides evidence on the importance of gender, race and the building where they live in creating network structures that favor, or not, contagion during a pandemic.

Facilitating and Evaluating the Development of Positive Interdependence in South African Distance Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 170-190
Author(s):  
Christina Johanna van Staden
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Positive Interdependence ◽  
The University

Cooperative base groups (CBGs) is a technique used in contact education to develop cooperative learning skills. However, it was assumed that the tools currently available can be used for the establishment of CBGs in distance education. For the purpose of this research, a post graduate class in distance education (N=77) was divided in 11 CBGs with 7 members each with the task to assist one another in the completion of assignments, to motivate one another to submit assignments, and to support one another on academic and personal level during the year. The results shows that CBGs provided an effective method to facilitate the establishment of reciprocal relationships and therefore the development of positive interdependence, and that social network analysis provided an effective method to evaluate the development of positive interdependence both on group and class level. Unfortunately, the technique was prematurely cancelled when the author left the university. A possible correlation between positive interdependence and academic achievement needs to be further investigated.

scholarly journals Bibliometric and Social Network Analysis of Civil Engineering Sustainability Research from 2015 to 2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6842
Author(s):  
Shuowen Zhou ◽  
Min Zhou ◽  
Yuanfeng Wang ◽  
Yuanlin Gao ◽  
Yinshan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
The United States ◽  
Construction Technology ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
The University ◽  
Material Preparation

With the development of civil engineering sustainability, the scope of corresponding research covers a broader range. It is difficult for researchers to master the holistic situation of the study, leading to duplication and lag of their research. Therefore, this paper aims to present a state-of-the-art of the research of civil engineering sustainability by adopting two new methods (bibliometric and social network analysis) to review the literature of this field. It is concluded that the existing research takes engineering as the main subject to improve its sustainability through technologies. Current research mainly focuses on technological innovations and evaluations of environmental impacts in the fields of construction technology, energy consumption, material preparation, and design. The countries with the largest number of published articles are the United States and China. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the institution that has published more articles than others. Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability are the journals that have published the most articles. For the researchers, a professor of the University of Adelaide is the researcher who has published the most articles, and experts from South China University of Technology, Chongqing University, and University of Brighton are the main hubs among different researchers.

Mapping social structures for sustainability transformation at McGill University, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klara Johanna Winkler ◽  
Elena Bennett ◽  
Hannah R. Chestnutt
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Transformation ◽  
Mcgill University ◽  
The University ◽  
Change Efforts

Purpose For a university to be a prime mover for sustainability transformation, all units of the university should contribute. However, organizational change in educational institutions is often studied by examining specific domains such as research or operation in isolation. This results in a less-than-complete picture of the potential for university-wide change. In contrast, this paper aims to examine the network of social relations that determine the diffusion and sustainability of change efforts across a university. The authors use McGill University (Canada) as a model system to study the network of actors concerned with sustainability to learn how this network influences the penetration of sustainability throughout the university. Design/methodology/approach To explore the existing social structure, the authors use an innovative approach to illuminate the influence of social structure on organizational change efforts. Using a mixed methods approach combining social network analysis with qualitative interview data, the authors examine the influence of the social structure on sustainability transformation at McGill University. The authors conducted 52 interviews between January and April 2019 with representatives of different sustainability groups at the university across six domains (research, education, administration, operations, connectivity and students). Findings The authors find that McGill University has a centralized system with a low density. The network is centralized around the Office of Sustainability. The limited cross-domain interaction appears to be a result of differences in motivation and priorities. This leads to a network that has many actors but only a limited number of connections between them. The quality of the relationships is often utilitarian, with only a few relationships aiming for support and mutual growth. Originality/value This study brings together social network analysis, sustainability transformation and higher education in a new way. It also illustrates the complexity of guiding a large organization, such as a university, toward a sustainability transformation. Furthermore, it reveals the importance of considering each part of the university as part of an interconnected network rather than as isolated components.

Measuring Technological Collaboration on Blockchain Based on Patents: A Social Network Analysis Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 097172182110329
Author(s):  
Jiang Nan ◽  
Liu Xing ◽  
Xu Ming
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Cooperation Network ◽  
The University

Blockchain has been regarded as an emerging global phenomenon in the field of new technologies. However, the existing literature still lacks descriptions of the cooperation characteristics and innovation landscape of blockchain. This study uses the social network analysis method to compare the development of blockchain technology and technological collaboration in China and in the United States based on patent data. Our analyses suggest that the number of blockchain patent applications in China is increasing rapidly due to the Chinese Government developing consistent national strategies for blockchain technology. In all, both countries have notable agglomerations in a few geographical areas or cities. However, the university or enterprise block in the United States has broader and deeper cooperation, unlike the Chinese university or enterprise block, which is more inclined to cooperate within blocks and has more isolated blocks. Lastly, there are various patent attributes-influencing factors behind the importance of node cooperation. The results show that the degree of cooperation of cooperative inventors or important patents is greater in China’s cooperation network, while in the United States, the influence of enterprises rather than universities or individuals is greater.

scholarly journals The Covid-19 pandemic and the dissolution of the university campus: implications for student support practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rille Raaper ◽  
Chris Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University ◽  
Original Approach

PurposeThis paper problematises student support in higher education during the Covid-19 crisis and proposes an original approach of social network analysis for developing effective support for students from different socio-economic backgrounds.Design/methodology/approachIn this forward-thinking essay, the authors draw on theoretical ideas from Hannah Arendt in conceptualising the destructive and productive nature of societal crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. We also draw on literature on social network analysis in exploring student support.FindingsThe authors propose a number of recommendations for university staff to consider when developing effective student support, ranging from nurturing their own professional capital to mapping student support networks and the role of faculty within these.Originality/valueThis paper emphasises the importance of developing effective student support that works for students from different socio-economic backgrounds. This is essential to avoid regression in widening participation policies and practices, and to promote inclusive university environments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document