The coevolution of multimodal, multiplex, and multilevel organizational networks in development communities

The current study is an attempt to understand organizational networks and organizational community in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development by exploring the coevolutionary processes of multidimensional networks. The study addresses three major areas of network research: network structure (the longitudinal evolution of network structure), network dynamics (endogenous and exogenous mechanisms that lead to tie formation), and network effects (the impact of interorganizational networks on outcome). The study draws theories and hypotheses from the intersection of evolutionary theory and social network theory. The intersection of the two fields can be found in their common focus on resources. The current study contributes to the integration and extension of these two distinct theoretical frameworks.;The study suggests that the coevolutionary dynamics can be more comprehensively understood when considering the intricacies of multidimensional networks. Three aspects of multidimensional networks are explored: multimodal, multiplex, and multilevel networks. The findings from the study demonstrate that multimodal (within and across organizational populations) and multiplex (two types of networks) dynamics are significant drivers of tie formation. In addition, the study emphasizes that the evolution of a community needs to be explored at multiple levels, including the global and subgroup levels of network structure, dyadic and triadic levels of tie formation, and nodal level of organizational position.;The investigation focuses on organizational populations in the ICT for Development community, which plays a key role in the global efforts to extend the benefits of ICTs toward enhancing development capacities in the underdeveloped regions of the world. The study explored the evolution of network structure in the community over time, and the network dynamics behind this structural evolution. The results provided support for the decentralization of global network structure and the increase of within-region and within-population ties over time. Further, the study examined the effect of these organizational networks on a collective outcome in the community. The outcome is reflected through the sharing of ideas, represented by technologies and applications adopted in development projects. The results complement the literature that examines the effect of niche overlap and structural equivalence on knowledge sharing.;Keywords: community ecology, evolutionary theory, Information and Communication Technology for Development, knowledge sharing, multidimensional networks, multilevel, multimodal, multiplex, network dynamics, network effects, network structure, niche, organizational networks, population ecology, replicability, resource, scalability...