Technology-Transfer Through International Network Formation： Revisiting the Role of Cultural Variation

This paper studies the factors affecting the technology-transfer within international research and development （R＆D） networks. Specifically, this study examines the characteristics of ties, actors, and international network configuration to assess finn＇s accessibility to unique technologies. This study was conducted by research analysis in the aerospace industry. The total sample size used in this study is 125 cases of international R＆D consortiums from January 1980 to December 2000. The result of this study supports the effects of ＂strength of tie＂ and ＂characteristic of actors＂ on the technology transfer explained by network theory. It also demonstrates that the international network structure that would facilitate the technology transfer is shaped by dual type of tie; the apparent type of tie is general, usual, and functional tie, and the hidden one is the national culture.

Predicting Tie Strength of Chinese Guanxi by Using Big Data of Social Networks

This paper poses a question:How many types of social relations can be categorized in the Chinese context?In social networks,the calculation of tie strength can better represent the degree of intimacy of the relationship between nodes,rather than just indicating whether the link exists or not.Previou research suggests that Granovetter measures tie strength so as to distinguish strong ties from weak ties,and the Dunbar circle theory may offer a plausible approach to calculating 5 types of relations according to interaction frequency via unsupervised learning(e.g.,clustering interactive data between users in Facebook and Twitter).In this paper,we differentiate the layers of an ego-centered network by measuring the different dimensions of user's online interaction data based on the Dunbar circle theory.To label the types of Chinese guanxi,we conduct a survey to collect the ground truth from the real world and link this survey data to big data collected from a widely used social network platform in China.After repeating the Dunbar experiments,we modify our computing methods and indicators computed from big data in order to have a model best fit for the ground truth.At the same time,a comprehensive set of effective predictors are selected to have a dialogue with existing theories of tie strength.Eventually,by combining Guanxi theory with Dunbar circle studies,four types of guanxi are found to represent a four-layer model of a Chinese ego-centered network.