Assessing Fundamental Power Differences in Exchange Networks: Iterative GPI

This work shows not only when and where exchange networks break into simpler substructures, but proposes rules to decisively classify networks and substructure as strong, weak, or equal power, and advances general heuristics for power development in exchange networks.

Abstract

Networks have been discovered for which Network Exchange Theory (NET Markovsky, Willer and Patton 1988; Lovaglia, Skvoretz, Willer and Markovsky 1995) fails to provide tenable predictions. Here we elaborate NET to create a more general method. We show not only when and where exchange networks break into simpler substructures, but propose rules to decisively classify networks and substructures as strong, weak, or equal power. In doing so, we advance general heuristics for power development in exchange networks and demonstrate the promise of an approach using reciprocal comparison of general heuristics, formal theory, and computer simulation.