(Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency
Abstract Research shows that individuals benefit from setting up their personal networks strategically. There are two fundamental networking approaches: structural change, which involves the addition and deletion of communication ties, and frequency change, which means an increase or decrease of com...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Network Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41109-019-0196-2 |
| _version_ | 1818979983898443776 |
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| author | Kyosuke Tanaka Emőke-Ágnes Horvát |
| author_facet | Kyosuke Tanaka Emőke-Ágnes Horvát |
| author_sort | Kyosuke Tanaka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Research shows that individuals benefit from setting up their personal networks strategically. There are two fundamental networking approaches: structural change, which involves the addition and deletion of communication ties, and frequency change, which means an increase or decrease of communication on existing ties. Existing literature has focused predominantly on structural change, leaving the potential of frequency change understudied. To investigate the differential effects of structural and frequency change on the efficiency of information flow through a network, we conduct simulations of networking approaches on a diverse set of real-world directed weighted communication networks. Our results indicate that, overall, frequency change is associated with higher efficiency than structural change in all but one of the studied cases. Structural change has a strong direct effect on individuals who actively modify their personal network. Surprisingly, our simulations also show that the indirect effects of frequency change (i.e., an individual’s ties are reshaped due to others’ actions) can exceed direct ones. Our results highlight the value of the so far less studied frequency change and suggest that using targeted network alterations can result in gains for information flow at the scale of the entire network. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:08:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17f359777dc047da869a9b39134727fa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2364-8228 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:08:12Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Network Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-17f359777dc047da869a9b39134727fa2022-12-21T19:32:12ZengSpringerOpenApplied Network Science2364-82282019-09-014112110.1007/s41109-019-0196-2(Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiencyKyosuke Tanaka0Emőke-Ágnes Horvát1Northwestern University, School of CommunicationNorthwestern University, School of CommunicationAbstract Research shows that individuals benefit from setting up their personal networks strategically. There are two fundamental networking approaches: structural change, which involves the addition and deletion of communication ties, and frequency change, which means an increase or decrease of communication on existing ties. Existing literature has focused predominantly on structural change, leaving the potential of frequency change understudied. To investigate the differential effects of structural and frequency change on the efficiency of information flow through a network, we conduct simulations of networking approaches on a diverse set of real-world directed weighted communication networks. Our results indicate that, overall, frequency change is associated with higher efficiency than structural change in all but one of the studied cases. Structural change has a strong direct effect on individuals who actively modify their personal network. Surprisingly, our simulations also show that the indirect effects of frequency change (i.e., an individual’s ties are reshaped due to others’ actions) can exceed direct ones. Our results highlight the value of the so far less studied frequency change and suggest that using targeted network alterations can result in gains for information flow at the scale of the entire network.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41109-019-0196-2Communication networksEfficiencyEdge alterationReciprocityTriadic closureComputer simulations |
| spellingShingle | Kyosuke Tanaka Emőke-Ágnes Horvát (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency Applied Network Science Communication networks Efficiency Edge alteration Reciprocity Triadic closure Computer simulations |
| title | (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency |
| title_full | (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency |
| title_fullStr | (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency |
| title_short | (Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency |
| title_sort | un intended consequences of networking on individual and network level efficiency |
| topic | Communication networks Efficiency Edge alteration Reciprocity Triadic closure Computer simulations |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41109-019-0196-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kyosuketanaka unintendedconsequencesofnetworkingonindividualandnetworklevelefficiency AT emokeagneshorvat unintendedconsequencesofnetworkingonindividualandnetworklevelefficiency |