Social network analysis

Abstract

Social network analysis (SNA) comprises various theoretical and methodological concepts to analyze relations among social actors. While the term 'social network' is often used as a metaphor for various phenomena, SNA is a research paradigm that is based on mathematical theory, clear definitions and a specific methodology. The value of SNA lies in the focus on relational data in contrast to attributive data of population samples in traditional approaches of social sciences. Following a relational perspective, social phenomena are explained by their embeddedness in a web of relations. In sport-related research there are six types of social networks: competition networks, interaction networks, affiliation networks, social environments, inter-organizational networks, and intra-organizational networks. SNA provides a powerful toolkit for the analysis of various phenomena in sport management from a relational perspective.