The first-order properties like degree distribution of nodes and the clustering co-efficient have been the prime focus of research in the study of structural properties of networks. The presence of a power law in the degree distribution of nodes has been considered as an important structural characteristic of social and information networks. Higher-order structural properties such as edge embeddedness may also play a more important role in many on-line social networks but have not been studied before. In this research, we study the distribution of higher-order structural properties of a network, such as edge embeddedness, in complex network models and on-line social networks. We empirically study the embeddedness distribution of a variety of network models and theoretically prove that a recently-proposed network model, the random $k$-tree, has a power-law embedded distribution. We conduct extensive experiments on the embeddedness distribution in real-world networks and provide evidence on the correlation between embeddedeness and communication patterns among the members in an on-line social network. / Graduate

MNCs have been conceptualized as differentiated networks that, in turn, are embedded in external networks. Previous research has predominantly focused on the embeddedness of established subsidiaries into their local environment, omitting to shed light on the phenomenon of headquarters linkages to the local context which creates embeddedness overlap. We develop a model of why MNCs develop overlapping linkages to local subsidiary networks even if the subsidiaries have grown out of the initial start-up phase. Using detailed information on 168 European subsidiaries, we find that MNCs build and maintain more overlapping network ties when subsidiaries are high performers, hold important resources, operate in turbulent environments, and are closely connected to multinational actors as opposed to purely domestic firms. (authors' abstract)

New institutionalism in sociology addresses how institutional pressure influences organisational behaviour. Its particular impact on “new economic sociology” is to establish a counter perspective to neo-classical economics by criticising the rational actor model of behaviour and emphasising cultural and cognitive references for business actions. Recent developments in new institutionalism increasingly focus on researching national and international contexts, which demonstrate a keen interest in non-local environments. Micro sociological research accordingly receives limited attention and the meaning of locality for production strategy in relation to markets is largely neglected. This thesis presents evidence from the kitchen-furniture industry of East Westphalia and Lippe (EWL) in Germany that, in an increasingly globalised economic system, local institutional contexts continue to influence business behaviour significantly. The thesis demonstrates the importance of locality for production organisation and business strategy in this case. The research aims to contribute to new institutionalist theory by establishing the relevance of “localness” and to encourage research to re-engage in meso-analysis on the sub-national level. The analysis presents results from a qualitative case study, which encompasses in-depth interviews, as well as results derived from contextual analysis of the industry’s structure and performance and statistical indicators provided by local institutions. The study tries to understand why about 70% of German produced kitchens, and about every fourth kitchen in Europe, originates from EWL. The findings demonstrate that managers’ evaluations of local production networks, regional cultural norms and values, shape managerial cognitive frameworks, which influence business behaviour significantly and can create meaning for locality of production sites.

Il presente studio si inserisce nel quadro di quel prolifico filone di studi che ormai da anni cerca di indagare il mondo dei network, analizzandone le ricadute organizzative, sia in termini di profitto, sia in termini di accrescimento della conoscenza organizzativa. L’idea di fondo, già ampiamente dibattuta, è che il network contribuisca efficacemente al miglioramento delle performance aziendali, generando fiducia e conoscenza attraverso una varietà di alleanze (orizzontali, verticali, trasversali…) e di legami (forti, deboli). In particolare, e questo è il focus principale del lavoro, ciò che ho voluto sottolineare è il ruolo particolare che le attività di networking possono esercitare durante le fasi di start up, quando cioè l’azienda prende forma e si costituisce: è durante questa fase che l’esistenza o meno di alleanze costituisce infatti un chiaro elemento differenziante, contribuendo al successo di quelle imprese che più di altre trovano nel sistema delle reti un valido ed efficace supporto al loro sviluppo. In sintesi, l’obiettivo di quest’analisi è stato quello di evidenziare l’impatto del networking, sia sugli asset finanziari, sia sulla generazione di nuove conoscenze e quindi sull’innovazione. In particolare, recuperando il concetto di learning economy, si è cercato di dimostrare il forte legame che esiste tra conoscenza e innovazione, soffermandosi in special modo sul cosiddetto “effetto spillover”. / This research is embedded in a prolific strand of studies investigating the world of networks with the aim to understand how they can generate organisational benefits, both in terms of profit and organisational knowledge. The driving idea, already extensively discussed, is that network-based organisations can achieve better performances, generating trust and knowledge through a variety of alliances (horizontal, vertical, transversal…) and ties (strong, weak…). In particular, aim of the present research is to stress the networking contribution to the start-up phase, when firms are established. Indeed it is during this phase that the existence or not of alliances makes the difference, contributing to the success of firms operating in a network-based system and recognizing its important contribution to the business results. In synthesis, goal of this analysis was to highlight the impact of networking activities, either on the financial assets or on the generation of innovation through the spread of new ideas. In particular, resorting to the concept of “learning economy”, I attempted to demonstrate the strong ties existing between knowledge and innovation, with a particular emphasis on the so-called “spillover effect”.

A recent major development in the turnover literature is the introduction of the Job Embeddedness (JE) construct. JE is a multidimensional construct conceptualized as the combined forces that tend to keep an employee from leaving his or her job. Research has demonstrated that JE predicts voluntary turnover above and beyond the variables used in traditional turnover models. However, since it is a relatively new construct, JE has received very limited study, especially across cultures. Further research is needed in order to understand both antecedents and consequences of JE. This dissertation, therefore, investigates a range of presumed organizational, job, and supervisory antecedents and consequence of JE in the context of Vietnam. The objectives of the study include (1) examining how human resource practices such as perceived supervisor support, organizational rewards, growth opportunity, training, and organizational justice, impact JE; (2) investigating how job characteristics such as skill variety, task significant, task identity, autonomy, and feedback influence JE; and (3) exploring whether perceived organizational support mediates the relationships between these organizational factors and JE; and (4) testing the relationship between JE and turnover intention in Vietnam. The study used a sample of 304 employees from a state-owned company in Hanoi, Vietnam to test fourteen hypotheses. The results indicated that human resource practices, including organizational rewards, growth opportunities, and procedural justice, and job characteristics, directly influence JE. In addition, perceived organizational support was found to mediate the relationships between organizational rewards and JE and between procedural justice and JE. The results also provided support for a significant and negative relationship between JE and intention to quit. The findings of this study, therefore, contribute to understanding the theoretical network of JE, as well as to helping managers find ways and conditions to retain valuable employees.

The authors use international business strategy and regional development literature to inform a set of propositions about the links between direct employment by foreign-owned subsidiaries in the manufacturing sector and the development of embeddedness and autonomy in these subsidiaries. A large-scale survey of French, German, and US manufacturing subsidiaries in the United Kingdom is used to test the importance of embeddedness (host-country sourcing and use of networks) and autonomy (decisionmaking and operational autonomy) for the growth of employment by foreign-owned subsidiaries and the growth of skilled jobs in such subsidiaries. The results indicate that growth of embeddedness and autonomy factors are important, especially for the growth of skilled jobs, but those subsidiaries that have this attribute are a minority of foreign-owned subsidiaries. In the light of these results, the authors argue that policies need to be geared towards developing embeddedness and encouraging the growth of autonomy in subsidiaries that are likely to be regarded as central to the overall objectives of multinational corporations (MNCs). This requires policymakers to be aware of the internationalisation strategies used by MNCs, particularly in the light of the emergence of new, low-cost, countries which can easily provide high-quality but low-cost manufacturing operations. An important conclusion is that simple promotion of networking among firms and supporting agencies, and attempts to improve the local asset pool are unlikely to be effective in most cases.

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abstract: Over the past several years, engagement and embeddedness have become popular research topics for academics and practitioners alike. Research has demonstrated associations between these constructs and a variety of predictors and outcomes. Prior research has not, however, placed enough emphasis on the roles of employee type, industry type, and work setting in determining predictors and outcomes. Additionally, the relative roles of engagement and embeddedness in predicting outcomes have not been thoroughly investigated. This study investigated the predictors and outcomes of engagement and embeddedness among unskilled, production line employees working in food processing in the agricultural industry by conducting a survey of employees and their supervisors. Employees answered questions about personality, motivation, satisfaction, engagement, and embeddedness while supervisors answered questions about each employee's performance. Results suggest that both engagement and embeddedness predict employee satisfaction and that engagement does so more strongly, both of which support prior research. However, results contradict prior research by suggesting that embeddedness is strongly predicted by traits internal to the employee while engagement is not, and neither engagement nor embeddedness significantly predicts employee performance. Further, the findings suggest that employees working in different settings and industries may experience work differently, and the measurements used to understand their experiences should reflect these differences. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Psychology 2012

The Jamaican don is a non-state actor who wields considerable power and control inside that nation's garrison communities. A don is a male figure, usually from the community in which he plays a leadership role. Garrisons in Jamaica have often emerged as neighborhoods that are don-ruled shadow versions of the official State. These are poor inner city communities characterized by homogeneous and, in some cases, over-voting patterns for one of Jamaica's two major political parties: the Peoples National Party (PNP) or the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). This dissertation explores the major roles dons played in Jamaican garrisons. It focused on one community in the downtown metro area of one of the nation's cities. Additionally, it investigated the factors that account for the evolution of such roles performed by dons from the 1960s to the present. I used governance theories and the concept of embeddedness as an analytic framework to interpret the power and authority dons have in garrisons. Dons, as it turned out, perform four central roles in garrisons: security/protection, social welfare, partisan mobilization and law, order and conflict resolution via "jungle justice" measures. Different types of dons perform alternate mixes of these roles. The case study described here led me to develop a taxonomy of these informal community leaders by separating them into Mega, Area and Street Dons. I argue overall that dons are embedded governing authorities in Jamaican garrisons based on the socio-economic and political roles they carry out. By examining the responsibilities of dons in Jamaica, this analysis contributes to the literature on the activities of non-state criminal actors and their forms of influence on governance processes. The study suggests that it may now be appropriate to re-think the nature of governance and the actors we broadly assume are legitimate holders of power and authority in developing nation contexts. / Ph. D.

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