Statistical Modeling of Multi-Dimensional Knowledge Diffusion Networks: An ERGM-Based Framework

Knowledge diffusion networks consist of individuals who exchange knowledge and knowledge flows connecting the individuals. By studying knowledge diffusion in a network perspective, it helps us understand how the connections between individuals affect the knowledge diffusion processes. Existing research on knowledge diffusion networks mostly adopts a uni-dimensional perspective, where all the individuals in the networks are assumed to be of the same type. It also assumes that there is only one type of knowledge flow in the network. This dissertation proposes a multi-dimensional perspective of knowledge diffusion networks and examines the patterns of knowledge diffusion with Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) based approaches. The objective of this dissertation is to propose a framework that effectively addresses the multi-dimensionality of knowledge diffusion networks, to enable researchers and practitioners to conceptualize the multi-dimensional knowledge diffusion networks in various domains, and to provide implications on how to stimulate and control the knowledge diffusion process. The dissertation consists of three essays, all of which examine the multi-dimensional knowledge diffusion networks in a specific context, but each focuses on a different aspect of knowledge diffusion. Chapter 2 focuses on how structural properties of networks affect various types of knowledge diffusion processes in the domain of commercial technology. The study uses ERGM to simultaneously model multiple types of knowledge flows and examine their interactions. The objective is to understand the impacts of network structures on knowledge diffusion processes. Chapter 3 focuses on examining the impact of individual attributes and the attributes of knowledge on knowledge diffusion in the context of scientific innovation. Based on social capital theory, the study also utilizes ERGM to examine how knowledge transfer and knowledge co-creation can be affected by the attributes of individual researchers and the attributes of scientific knowledge. Chapter 4 considers the dynamic aspect of knowledge diffusion and proposes a novel network model extending ERGM to identify dynamic patterns of knowledge diffusion in social media. In the proposed model, dynamic patterns in social media networks are modeled based on the nodal attributes of individuals and the temporal information of network ties