Request a FREE 30-day online trial to this title at www.sagepub.com/freetrialThis two-volume encyclopedia provides a thorough introduction to the wide-ranging, fast-developing field of social networking, a much-needed resource at a time when new social networks or communities seem to spring up on the internet every day. Social networks, or groupings of individuals tied by one or more specific types of interests or interdependencies ranging from likes and dislikes, or disease transmission to the old boy network or overlapping circles of friends, have been in existence for longer than services such as Facebook or YouTube; analysis of these networks emphasizes the relationships within the network . This reference resource offers comprehensive coverage of the theory and research within the social sciences that has sprung from the analysis of such groupings, with accompanying definitions, measures, and research.

Featuring approximately 350 signed entries, along with approximately 40 media clips, organized alphabetically and offering cross-references and suggestions for further readings, this encyclopedia opens with a thematic Reader s Guide in the front that groups related entries by topics. AChronology offers the reader historical perspective on the study of social networks. This two-volume reference work is a must-have resource for libraries serving researchers interested in the various fields related to social networks. "

This comprehensive handbook features work on organizational communication research, authored by the leading scholars in the field. This broad-based overview is intended for both students, scholars, and professionals. It is organized into three sections that present the theoretical and methodological directions of the field along with insights into the future growth of new communications technologies and their effects on public and private sector organizations. The volume addresses many questions: What is the current state of the discipline? How do we define the parameters of organizational communication? What paradigms and philosophical approaches define this field? What theoretical propositions have evolved from the past two decades of research in organizational communication? What research trends and themes have been supported and discounted? Where is there agreement among scholars? Where is there differentiation among viewpoints? What direction is current and future research taking in the field?

In the last edition of the Diffusion of Innovations, Everett Rogers challenged diffusion scholars to move beyond the methods and models of the past, recognize the limitation of prior approaches, and broaden the conceptions of the diffusion of innovations. This book answers that call. It brings together noted diffusion scholars and presents a communication perspective for the study of the diffusion process. Using approaches ranging from mathematical modeling and multidimensional scaling to network analysis and agent-based modeling, chapters critically examine the current theoretical and methodological approaches in diffusion research and present novel ways to understand the process. Each chapter expands the scope of diffusion theory and lays the groundwork for the next generation of scholarship. The book is a must-read for anyone wishing to study trends in diffusion research, including diffusion scholars, marketers of ideas and products, communication and management consultants, policy makers, and individuals and organizations working on changing the status quo. It is recommended as a supplementary text for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in communication, business and management, information science, and sociology.

Traditionally, the open systems approach has been used to describe communication structures and processes. This book does not deal with social systems from this perspective. Rather it examines self-organizing systems models that seek to explain the emergence of patterns of behavior in systems that are initially in a state of disorganization. This volume examines the models currently under development - autopoiesis, catastrophe theory, fractal geometry, dissipative structures, complexity theory, cellular automata and artificial intelligence - and presents a number of applications to contemporary communication theory.

Traditionally, the open systems approach has been used to describe communication structures and processes. This book does not deal with social systems from this perspective. Rather it examines self-organizing systems models that seek to explain the emergence of patterns of behavior in systems that are initially in a state of disorganization. This volume examines the models currently under development - autopoiesis, catastrophe theory, fractal geometry, dissipative structures, complexity theory, cellular automata and artificial intelligence - and presents a number of applications to contemporary communication theory.

This book focuses on the current research on and implications of globalization for social organizations and the study of organizational communication. The chapters are wide-ranging in terms of how they approach international and intercultural issues. The authors draw on a wide range of literatures: international development, international migration, postcolonialism, and social movements. The organizations studied represent all major sectors and a variety of national and ethnic contexts and the chapters feature empirical, interpretive and critical postures toward research and engage practical as well as theoretical issues. The authors reflect on the changing shapes of organizations and institutions in today's world.

This book focuses on the current research on and implications of globalization for social organizations and the study of organizational communication. The chapters are wide-ranging in terms of how they approach international and intercultural issues. The authors draw on a wide range of literatures: international development, international migration, postcolonialism, and social movements. The organizations studied represent all major sectors and a variety of national and ethnic contexts and the chapters feature empirical, interpretive and critical postures toward research and engage practical as well as theoretical issues. The authors reflect on the changing shapes of organizations and institutions in today's world.

This is the 14th volume in a series that compiles research from a wide spectrum of disciplines, offering reviews of the areas that fall within the rubrics of information and communication science, as well as providing an overview of how people use communication.

This is the 14th volume in a series that compiles research from a wide spectrum of disciplines, offering reviews of the areas that fall within the rubrics of information and communication science, as well as providing an overview of how people use communication.