Doctoral Dissertation Research: Network Identification and Conceptualization of Business Groups

博士论文研究：企业集团的网络识别和概念化

• 批准号: 0833048
• 负责人: David Knoke
• 金额: $ 0.75万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-15 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0833048&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Network; Identification

SES-0833048David KnokeDalhia ManiUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesSES-0833048David KnokeDalhia ManiUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesA business group is a set of legally independent firms that coordinates actions. Coordinated actions include intra-group transfers of key personnel, knowledge, capital, and supplies. Business groups are characteristic of most economies in the world, and control substantial portions of most national economies. Prior research describes business groups as murky, corrupt, and highly entrenched within networks of ties. However, the mechanisms by which highly entrenched business groups' exercise their position in a network of ties are unclear. In addition, the investigator's research on the shareholding network of all publicly traded Indian firms' shows that business groups occupy diverse network positions. While some business groups are highly nested within the network, most are isolates or marginally nested within the network. Nestedness is defined as the number of actors or ties that need to be removed to split an actor or a cluster of actors from the rest of the network. For instance, in the Indian shareholding network, initial research shows that to split a highly nested business group from the rest of the network requires the removal of a minimum of 24 ties. In contrast, marginal business groups split away from the rest of the network when one or two actors or ties are removed. Nestedness reflects network position, and is the result of multiple ties formed by multiple actors over time. For instance, in the Indian shareholding network, isolate business groups can move to a highly nested position only if they form a minimum of 24 ties with key actors in the network. Hence nestedness is not susceptible to short term manipulations by managers. Indeed, managers are unlikely to be aware of their group's position in the network. Nestedness might instead manifest itself to participants in the network as taken for granted sets of opportunities, constraints, and ways of doing business that differ for different actors in the network. The dissertation research addresses the following question: How do highly nested business groups differ from isolated or marginal business groups in the opportunities and constraints available to them? The investigator will address the research question through data collected from semi-structured in-depth interviews with Indian business group managers and owners. Interviewees will be asked to relate instances of how their group perceived and responded to opportunities and threats in the environment. Interviews will be analyzed to uncover thematic differences and similarities between the responses of actors at different positions in the network. Theoretically this research is important because it gives us insights into the mechanisms by which network position influences behavior in the context of Indian firm ownership networks. Future research can then compare how nestedness manifests itself in other large networks. Also, sets of firms that operate in tandem are a powerful but understudied phenomenon. The research helps uncover how these clusters of firms operate and influence the economy. The practical importance is for policy makers, investors, and activists concerned about the influence of highly connected business groups on the economy. Research findings may enhance our ability to provide lecture on and better understand the Indian economy. To obtain interviews, the co-PI is also establishing affiliations with universities and corporate governance bodies in India.

SES-0833048David KnokeDalhia Mani明尼苏达大学双城分校SES-0833048David KnokeDalhia Mani明尼苏达大学双城分校业务集团是一组协调行动的法律上独立的公司。 协调行动包括集团内部关键人员、知识、资本和物资的转移。 商业集团是世界上大多数经济体的特征，并控制着大多数国家经济的很大一部分。 先前的研究将商业集团描述为阴暗、腐败且在关系网络中根深蒂固的组织。 然而，根深蒂固的商业集团在关系网络中行使其地位的机制尚不清楚。 此外，调查人员对所有印度上市公司的股权网络的研究表明，商业集团占据着不同的网络地位。 虽然一些业务组高度嵌套在网络中，但大多数业务组是孤立的或稍微嵌套在网络中。 嵌套被定义为将一个参与者或一组参与者从网络的其余部分中分离出来时需要移除的参与者或关系的数量。 例如，在印度股权网络中，初步研究表明，要将高度嵌套的业务集团与网络的其他部分分开，需要消除至少 24 个联系。 相比之下，当一两个参与者或联系被移除时，边缘商业团体就会从网络的其余部分中分离出来。 嵌套性反映了网络位置，是多个参与者随着时间的推移形成的多重联系的结果。 例如，在印度的股权网络中，孤立的商业集团只有与网络中的关键参与者形成至少 24 种联系，才能转移到高度嵌套的位置。 因此，嵌套性不易受到管理者短期操纵的影响。 事实上，管理者不太可能了解他们的团队在网络中的地位。 相反，嵌套性可能会向网络参与者显现为理所当然的一系列机会、约束和开展业务的方式，而这些机会、限制和开展业务的方式对于网络中的不同参与者来说是不同的。 论文研究解决了以下问题：高度嵌套的商业团体与孤立或边缘的商业团体在可获得的机会和限制方面有何不同？ 调查人员将通过对印度企业集团经理和所有者进行半结构化深度访谈收集的数据来解决研究问题。 受访者将被要求讲述他们的团队如何看待和应对环境中的机会和威胁的实例。 将对访谈进行分析，以揭示网络中不​​同位置的参与者的反应之间的主题差异和相似之处。 从理论上讲，这项研究很重要，因为它让我们深入了解网络地位在印度公司所有权网络背景下影响行为的机制。 未来的研究可以比较嵌套性在其他大型网络中的表现方式。 此外，联合经营的多家公司是一种强大但尚未得到充分研究的现象。 这项研究有助于揭示这些企业集群如何运作和影响经济。 对于关注高度关联的商业团体对经济影响的政策制定者、投资者和活动人士来说，这一点具有实际意义。 研究结果可能会增强我们提供讲座并更好地了解印度经济的能力。 为了获得采访机会，联合首席研究员还与印度的大学和公司治理机构建立了联系。