Doctoral Dissertation Research: Network Identification and Conceptualization of Business Groups

商业集团是一组法律上独立的公司，负责协调行动。协调行动包括关键人员、知识、资本和物资的集团内部转移。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、腐败和在关系网络中高度根深蒂固。然而，根深蒂固的商业集团在关系网中行使其地位的机制尚不清楚。此外，研究者对印度所有上市公司股权网络的研究表明，企业集团占据着不同的网络位置。虽然一些企业集团高度嵌套在网络中，但大多数企业集团是孤立的或在网络中勉强嵌套的。嵌套性定义为需要移除的参与者或连接的数量，以便将参与者或参与者集群从网络的其余部分中分离出来。例如，在印度的股权网络中，初步研究表明，要将一个高度嵌套的商业集团从网络的其他部分中分离出来，至少需要消除24个关系。相反，当一个或两个参与者或关系被移除时，边缘商业集团就会从网络的其余部分分裂出去。巢性反映了网络的位置，是多个参与者长期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在与网络中的关键参与者形成至少24种联系的情况下，才能移动到高度嵌套的位置。因此，嵌套性不容易受到管理人员短期操纵的影响。事实上，管理者不太可能意识到他们的团队在网络中的位置。相反，对于网络中的参与者来说，嵌套性可能表现为理所当然的机会、约束和开展业务的方式，而网络中的不同参与者则不同。论文研究解决了以下问题：高度嵌套的商业集团与孤立的或边缘的商业集团在机会和约束方面有何不同？研究者将通过对印度商业集团经理和所有者的半结构化深度访谈收集数据来解决研究问题。受访者将被要求举出他们的群体如何感知和应对环境中的机会和威胁的实例。对访谈进行分析，揭示网络中不同位置的演员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，因为它使我们深入了解了印度公司所有权网络背景下网络地位影响行为的机制。未来的研究可以比较巢性在其他大型网络中的表现。此外，公司的联合经营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是如何运作和影响经济的。对于政策制定者、投资者和关注高度关联的商业集团对经济影响的活动人士来说，这一研究具有实际意义。研究成果可以提高我们讲授印度经济的能力，更好地了解印度经济。为了获得采访机会，联合调查委员会还与印度的大学和公司治理机构建立了联系。

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.