Urbanized framework of the Volga-Ural macroregion: Assessment of the potential intensity of economic relations

Identifying the spatial structures of economic activity within a supra-regional entity is an urgent scientific task. In this study, it is solved using a combination of a framework approach and a model analog of the gravitational interaction for the cities of the Volga-Ural macroregion. According to the cost of industrial production of cities with a population of more than 100 thousand inhabitants (i.e., the first and second cities of their regions) and the distance between them, an industrial-urbanized framework of the macroregion was built, demonstrating the potential of economic ties within it. The analysis of the strength of ties allowed us to identify the peripheral and central cities-industrial centers. Among the first ones there are the cities of Orenburg and Penza regions, among the second ones – Ufa, Samara and Tolyatti. In addition, the functions of the second cities of the regions were analyzed and the degree of industrial orientation of the first and second cities of the macroregion was revealed.

What Influences Relationship Formation in a Global Civil Society Network? An Examination of Valued Multiplex Relations

Recent interorganizational communication research has taken up the question: why are networks structured the way they are? This line of inquiry has advanced communication network research by helping explain how and why networks take on certain structures or why certain organizations become positioned advantageously (or not). Yet, those studies assume relationships among organizations are either present or absent. This study considers how the strength of ties and multiplex relationships among organizations may reveal a more complex explanation for why networks take on certain structures. Our results challenge some long held assumptions about the mechanisms that influence network formation. For instance, our results offer important insights into the consequences of closure mechanisms, the applicability of preferential attachment to real-world networks, and the nuances of homophily in network formation on multidimensional relationships in a communication network. Implications for interorganizational networks are discussed.

Nine Mechanisms of Job-Searching and Job-Finding Through Contacts Among Young Adults

Since Granovetter’s seminal works, the influence of personal networks on the labour market has attracted widespread attention. This article analyses the role played by contacts in the context of the labour trajectories of young people in Spain, for whom the use of personal networks represents one of the most important job-searching methods. Using narrative data extracted from a life-history grid and ego-network generator, the analysis brings to light nine mechanisms in which personal contacts intervene in job-searching and job-finding in a sample of 90 young people living in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. The article emphasizes that contacts play primarily three roles in these processes as informers, employers, or influencers. This distinction offers a renewed framework for the study of networks in the labour market, further complementing the debate on the strength of ties. Using this framework allows me to create a map of the mechanisms that shed light on personal networks as tools with which to deal with labour insecurity and unemployment among young people, thus providing resources that to a large extent reaffirm the objective character of class differences. The article offers innovative insights into how social capital operates in the labour market and helps understand how youth precarity, which is widespread in Spain, is experienced in a relational way.

How does the strength of ties influence relationship quality in Chinese megaprojects? The mediating role of contractual flexibility

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of the strength of ties (strong ties and weak ties) on contractual flexibility (term flexibility and process flexibility) and relationship quality among stakeholders in a megaproject network.Design/methodology/approachThis study, via a questionnaire survey, collected 380 valid responses from megaproject professionals (including project managers, department managers and project engineers). The data were analyzed using least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that both strong ties and weak ties have positive effects on relationship quality. The introduction of contractual flexibility can help improve relationship quality by combining the positive effects of the strength of ties. Interestingly, the indirect influence of strong ties on relationship quality is mainly due to term flexibility. However, the influence of process flexibility is not significant, while weak ties have an indirect influence through term flexibility and process flexibility.Research limitations/implicationsThis study, while helpful to megaproject management both in theory and practice, is nevertheless subject to several limitations. First, this study only considers the impact of the strength of ties on contractual flexibility and relationship quality; other factors, such as environmental uncertainty, are not explored. Second, the sample data are limited to just a few regions of China. Future research should cover other influencing factors, in order to make the model more substantial; data should also be collected from different cultural and industrial sources, thereby extending and further verifying the results.Originality/valueThis study makes three contributions to extant megaproject literature. First, this study provides a deep and nuanced understanding of the strength of ties. With the distinction between strong ties and weak ties clearly explained, this research furnishes a subtler understanding of relationship governance than has previously been achieved. Second, by precisely identifying the mechanism of how contract flexibility improves contract control and coordination functions, this research offers a complementary view of how contractual flexibility positively contributes to cooperation and relationship quality. Third, this study identifies which dimension of the strength of ties is more influential. This brings a new explanation for the previous controversy and offers some insight into the determinants of how to improve relationship quality in Chinese megaprojects.

Multinomial Choice with Social Interactions: Occupations in Victorian London

We study the importance of social interactions on the occupational choice in Victorian London using a multinomial choice model within an incomplete social network. Individuals form heterogeneous rational expectations about their peers' behaviors taking into account their characteristics and the strength of their ties. We show the conditions under which the endogenous, exogenous and correlated effects can be identified and a unique equilibrium can be established. Using a novel dataset, we proxy social groups by parish boundaries and strength of ties by geographic distances. Our results show the importance of the endogenous effects and reveal distinct effects by occupation.

Key defence agreement shows strength of India-US ties

Headline INDIA/US: Key defence agreement shows strength of ties

Strength of ties and pioneering orientation: The moderating role of scanning capabilities

The purpose of this article is to study the curvilinear effect on pioneering orientation of one of its key relational backgrounds: strength of ties. The study is based on a sample of 224 companies in the footwear industry in Spain. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed. The results show a curvilinear U-shaped relationship between the strength of ties and pioneering orientation. This curvilinear relationship is increasingly pronounced as scanning capabilities grow. Managers wishing to develop a pioneering orientation should avoid excessive levels of strength in their ties and unduly low levels. Furthermore, firms might benefit from developing scanning capability. JEL CLASSIFICATION: M100; o320

Follow Me Too: Determinants of Transitive Tie Formation on Twitter

Transitivity, defined as the tendency for node A to be connected to node B given that A is connected to node X and X is connected to B, has been found to be a strong predictor of tie formation in various types of social networks. As transitive ties can influence information sharing, diffusion, and attitudes toward messages, understanding the motivations and mechanisms behind transitive tie formation in online social networks (OSNs) is important. Using a large longitudinal dataset from a popular OSN, Twitter, we examine the factors affecting transitivity. Results show that the strength of ties, activity like the number of tweets, and most importantly, the number of common connections are key factors affecting transitive tie formation. Theoretical implications regarding the evolution of network structure and polarization of views as well as practical suggestions for organizations aiming to accumulate followers for information sharing are discussed.