Structure, content and meaning of organizational networks: Extending network thinking, Introduction

To better understand how structure, content, and meaning are interrelated,
there is great potential in conceptualizing mixed structure linkages, where
social relations, events, actions, and text-based information intersect. This
potential is all the more salient in view of the large data flows and analytical
tools that researchers can draw on. However, the increasing availability
of tools and data seems to outpace theory development. In response to
these trends, this volume aims to advance theoretical understanding of how
structure, content, and meaning are dynamically intertwined, in both online
and offline domains. We also explain the methodological implications of
such investigations. This volume therefore responds to the need for in-depth
analyses studying the theoretical and methodological implications of the
assumed unity of network approaches at the intersections of structure, content,
and meaning. With these analyses, we show promising approaches, provoke
debates in the field, and suggest potential future directions.