Selected Publications
- Brennecke, Julia/Rank, Olaf N. (2016). The interplay between formal project memberships and informal advice seeking in knowledge-intensive firms: A multilevel network approach, in: Social Networks, 44: 307-318.
- Brennecke, Julia/Schierjott, Irena/Rank, Olaf N. (2016): Informal managerial networks and formal firm alliances: A multilevel investigation in biotech, in: Schmalenbach Business Review, 17(1): 103-125.
- Brennecke, Julia/Schierjott, Irena/Rank, Olaf N. (2016): Informal managerial networks and formal firm alliances: A multilevel investigation in biotech, in: Schmalenbach Business Review, 17(1): 103-125.
- Rank, Olaf N./Robins, Garry/Pattison, Philippa E. (2010): Structural logic of network organizations, in: Organization Science, 21(3): 745-764.
- Rank, Olaf N./Tuschke, Anja (2010): Perceived influence and friendship as antecedents of cooperation in top management teams: A network approach, in: Business Research, 3(2): 151-171.
FRIAS Project
Cooperative Network Structures in Hightech Clusters: A Multi-Level Analysis
Corporate clusters have been established in many places in order to support the interconnectedness of firms and thereby increase their competitiveness. The structures of these clusters represent complex multilevel networks comprising cooperative relationships on three distinct hierarchical levels: the cluster level, the level of high-tech firms and research institutions representing the cluster members, and the individual level comprising managers and researchers working for the member organizations. The project will investigate three research questions: (1) Which structural properties characterize the multilevel networks of clusters and under which conditions are the individual levels interrelated in complementary and substitutive ways? (2) How are cooperative relationships inside the cluster interrelated with collaboration ties to national and international partners outside the own cluster? (3) Do the network structures of different clusters exhibit a uniform structural logic or do the structural properties of the multilevel networks depend on the specific characteristics of the clusters such as age, size, and industry? Applying a multilevel network analytical approach, the project contributes to existing knowledge in a twofold way. First, the results enhance our understanding of corporate clusters. They will allow for allocating affirmative actions of the public sector more purposefully thereby increasing the effectiveness of cluster promotion. Second, the results expand existing knowledge with respect to the structural logic of multilevel networks and make a substantial contribution to network theory.