The key player problem (KPP) consists of two separate sub-problems, which can be described at a general level as follows:1. (KPP-1) Given a social network, find a set of k nodes (called a kp-set of order k) which, if removed, would maximally disrupt communication among the remaining nodes.2....

Research on social networks has grown considerably in the last decade. However, there is a certain amount of confusion about network theory — for example, what it is, what is distinctive about it, and how to generate new theory. This paper attempts to remedy the situation by clarifying the...

The network perspective is rapidly becoming a lingua franca across virtually all of the sciences from anthropology to physics. In this paper, we provide supply chain researchers with an overview of social network analysis, covering both specific concepts (such as structural holes or betweenness...

We offer a theory and measure for determining powerful nodal positions based on potential inter-actor control in “politically charged” networks, which contain both allies and adversaries. Power is derived from actors that are dependent on the focal actor and sociometrically weak, either due...