Social Networks
Study Board of Business Economics
Teaching language: English
EKA: B100068402
Censorship: Second examiner: None
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Soenderborg
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Bachelor
Course ID: B100068401
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 02-03-2018
Duration: 1 semester
Course ID
Course Title
Teaching language
ECTS value
Responsible study board
Date of Approval
Course Responsible
Offered in
Level
Offered in
Duration
Mandatory prerequisites
Recommended prerequisites
Aim and purpose
Social Networks aims at exploring the various conceptual and methodological challenges experienced by social network analysis. The first part of the course critically discusses the fundamental concepts developed by social network analysis, such as centrality, cohesion, subgroups, and structural equivalence, as well as the main theoretical areas developed since the 1930s, including embeddedness, social capital, and brokerage. After providing a theoretical foundation, we will apply a relational approach to a range of substantive issues and examine how a formal approach of networks can contribute to better understand social, economic, and political structures.
Content
- Centrality and power
- Cohesion and structural equivalence
- Embeddedness, social capital, and brokerage
- Exchange- and knowledge transfer mechanism (bonding, bridging, protecting)
- Social networks and economic performance
- Business networks
- Industry networks
- The dark side of social capital
- Quantitative and qualitative study design and surveys
Learning goals
At the end of the course, students should be able to
- Identify a relevant problem
- Apply the major concepts of social network analysis to a social, economic or political issue.
- Identify the characteristics of network analysis compared with other attribute-based approaches, such as econometrics.
- Design a survey, collect and analyze your data using a relational approach
- Present and discuss the results of the analysis, in a clear and concise way, in a report adhering to academic standards.
Literature
- Borgatti S.P, Everett M.G, Johnson J.C. 2013. Analyzing Social Networks. London, Sage.
- Kadushin C. 2012. Understanding Social Networks. Theories, Concepts and Findings. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Borgatti S.P, Everett M.G, Freeman C. 2002. UCINET 6 for Windows. Software for Social Network Analysis. User’s Guide. Cambridge, Analytic Technologies, Harvard.
- Burt R.S. 2005. Brokerage and Closure. An Introduction to Social Capital. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Burt R.S. 2010. Neighbor Networks. Competitive Advantage Local and Personal. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Coleman, J.S. (1990), Foundations of Social Theory, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
- Eklinder-Frick, J., Eriksson, L.T. and Hallén, L. (2011), "Bridging and Bonding Forms of Social Capital in a Regional Strategic Network", Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 40 No. 6, pp. 994-1003.
- Eklinder-Frick, J., Eriksson, L.T. and Hallén, L. (2012), "Effects of Social Capital on Processes in a Regional Strategic Network", Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 41 No. 5, pp. 800-806.
- Eklinder-Frick, J., Eriksson, L.T. and Hallén, L. (2014), "Multidimensional social capital as a boost or a bar to innovativeness", Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 43, pp. 429–440.Easton, G. and Lundgren, A. (2016): "Changes in Industrial Networks as flow through nodes", in Axelsson, B. and Easton, G. (Ed.), Industrial Networks: A New View of Reality, Routledge, Abington, pp. 88-104.
- Easton, G. (2016), "Industrial Networks: A Review", in Axelsson, B. and Easton, G. (Ed.), Industrial Networks: A New View of Reality, Routledge, Abington, pp. 1-27.
- Everton S.F. 2013. Disrupting Dark Networks. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
- Granovetter, M. (1973), “The strength of weak ties”, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 78, pp. 1360-1380.
- Granovetter, M. (1985), "Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness", American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 91 No. 3, pp. 481-510.
- McCulloh I, Armstrong H, Johnson A. 2013. Social Network Analysis with Applications. Hoboken, Wiley.
- Newman M.E.J. 2010. Networks. An Introduction. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Scott J. 2006. Social Network Analysis. A Handbook. London, Sage.
This list of literature contains basic literature. Each group has to do a systematic exploration on literature to get to an appropriate base of literature related to its topic/report.
Teaching Method
The course is delivered in a mixture of lectures (first part) and workshops (second part). Several tutorial exercises will be provided to become familiar with network analysis, master some the software tools as well as analytical strategies developed by network analysts.
Workload
2 hours per week in 15 weeks.
Workload:
Lectures: 30 hours
Preparation for lectures: 60 hours
Preparation of report: 40 hours
Preparation for and oral examination: 5 hours
In total 135 hours
Examination regulations
Exam
Name
Exam
Timing
Exam: In January
Reexam: In February
Registration for the course is automatically a registration for the ordinary examination of the course. Cancellation is not possible. If the student does not participate in the examination, the student will use an examination attempt.
The university may grant an exemption from the rules in case of special circumstances.
For the re-examination a new problem proposal or seminar topic has to be accepted by the supervisor.
Please note that the type and form of the re-examination may differ from that of the ordinary examination.
Tests
Exam
Name
Exam
Form of examination
Take-home assignment with oral defence
Censorship
Second examiner: None
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Student Identification Card - Date of birth
Language
English
Duration
Ongoing throughout the term. Deadline for submission will appear from the plan of examinations.
Length
Extent:
30 standard pages for 2 students and 40 pages for reports handed in by 3 students.The number of pages is excluding table of contents, possible summary and appendices.
Assignment handin
Through SDU assignment in the course page in Blackboard.
ECTS value
5
Additional information
The report must be written in groups of 2-3 students. The lecturer can grant exemptions from this rule.
Students take the oral exam as a group with individual grading of each student. The examiner ensures that the oral examination is conducted in such a way that individual assessment of the performance of each student can take place.
For the oral examination, 30 minutes is set aside for 2 students 40 minutes is set aside for 3 students including grading. The examination takes its starting point in the report and a presentation hereof. The examination also includes supplementary questions on theoretical, methodological and, if relevant, practical topics associated with the submitted report.
The grading is based on an overall assessment of the report and the performance at the oral exam. Grades are awarded based on how well the individual student has achieved the objectives of the subject as described in "Goals Description".
About the report:
Duration: Ongoing throughout the term. Deadline for submission will appear from the plan of examinations.
Location: Home assignment
Internet Access: Required.
Hand out of assignment: Not applicable.
Hand in: Through SDU assignment in the course page in Blackboard.
Extent: 30 standard pages for 2 students and 40 pages for reports handed in by 3 students. The number of pages is excluding table of contents, possible summary and appendices.
The seminar paper must include at least the following elements:
- Executive summary (writing guidelines will be provided through Blackboard),
- Introduction and problem statement (what are the underlying key questions that need to be asked, why should we care about he issue/problem identified?),
- Analysis (distill the relevant literature and demonstrate their relevance to the problem statement; point to critical issues and provide recommendations where appropriate),
- Discussion and conclusions,
- References (should begin on a separate page, guidelines will be provided via Blackboard),
- Appendices (optional, should begin on a separate page).
The report must meet the requirements stated in the "Formalities for written assignments in economics and business administration" - available at the study programme page on www.sdu.dk under "Exam".
Research papers will be dealt according to the University of Southern Denmark integrity policy (http://www.sdu.dk/en/information_til/studerende_ved_sdu/eksamen/snyd).
EKA
B100068402
External comment
NOTE - This course is identical with the former course Social Networks, Id 8550301.
Used examination attempts in the former identical course will be transferred.
Courses that are identical with former courses that are passed according to applied rules cannot be retaken.
The student is automatically registered for the first examination attempt when the student is registered for a course or course element with which one or more examinations are associated. Withdrawal of registration is not possible, and students who fail to participate in an examination have used one examination attempt, unless the University has made an exemption due to special circumstances.
If a student does not meet the established university prerequisites for taking the exam, he or she has used one examination attempt, unless the University has made an exemption due to special circumstances.
NOTE
If a very limited number of students have selected the course, the study board may decide to cancel it.
The number of students enrolled may be restricted by the Study Board. If the enrolment limit is exceeded preference is granted to full degree students following a compulsory course on a SDU programme. Within the limit, full degree students having selected the course as an elective, guest and exchange students are offered enrolment on a first come first served basis.
Exchange students, if any: Internal grading. Assessment as for ordinary students.