Informal ties and expertise in global crisis governance: an exploration of network methodologies

Abstract

This chapter reviews methodological and conceptual developments in social network analysis (SNA) to explore their potential for analysing the role and circulation of informal expertise between different types of organizations. Specifically, it develops research strategies for systematizing and assessing the web of intentional and unintentional interpersonal ties that connect governmental and non-governmental organizations as a means of exploring the circulation of knowledge and expertise in the production of global crisis governance. The chapter shows that, despite their potentials, standard SNA methodologies and concepts are unable to simultaneously integrate the interpersonal, organizational, and extra-organizational dimensions of exchanges between governmental and non-governmental organizations. It therefore develops a two-fold research strategy that draws on the two-dimensional framework of director interlocks and suggests combining multiple network analyses of the boards and management teams of large international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to analyse the network properties between two types of organizations and generate leads for qualitative research. Relying on publicly available data on the career paths of INGO staff, management teams, and boards that link governmental and non-governmental organizations, this approach enables an exploration of metrics that describe network properties, identify hubs, and cliques. It thereby informs qualitative research regarding their significance and impacts to complement existing studies on institutional patterns of knowledge circulation and exchange between different (types of) organizations.