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Paper info: A critical realist interpretation of network dynamics

Title


A critical realist interpretation of network dynamics

Authors


Ricardo Morais
Portuguese Catolic University
Portugal
Ricardo Morais

Place of Publication


The paper was published at the 24th IMP-conference in Uppsala, Sweden in 2008.

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Abstract


This paper reviews the emergence of critical realism as a consistent set of ontological, epistemological and methodological positions in the social sciences. In addition, the paper reviews previous contributions on network dynamics within the IMP Group. As a corollary of such a literature review, the paper provides a critical realist interpretation of network dynamics based on analogies with aeronautics. In particular, the paper suggests a critical realist model of industrial network dynamics, based on aeronautics constructs such as weight, drag, turbulence, lift, velocity, and smooth. The resulting model - SUPER-I - allows a critical realist interpretation of network serendipity, uncertainty, propinquity, entropy, resilience, and inertia. The concluding section discusses possible applications of such a model of industrial network dynamics.