Abstract

This study examined the influences of ecological factors on the dissolution of affiliation ties in the International Communication Association (ICA). The affiliation network in this study represented the connections between ICA members and ICA divisions and interest groups. Guided by insights from organizational ecology and network theory, this research used a multilevel discrete-time event history analysis to test how ecological factors influenced active ICA members’ decisions to drop affiliation ties. An empirical analysis was conducted using a longitudinal sample of 1,282 active members and 23 divisions and interest groups from 2009 to 2015. The results showed that the likelihood of tie dissolution was significantly constrained by the length of an individual’s organizational membership, the division or interest group’s fuzzy density (generally considered as a proxy for legitimacy perceptions), and the group’s contrast (one measure of the level of clarity vs ambiguity of a group’s identity). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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2009-2015年国际传播协会联盟网络发展过程中生态环境对网络关系解散的影响

摘要

这项研究检查了国际交流协会（ICA）中生态因素对从属关系解散的影响。本研究中的隶属关系网络代表了ICA成员与ICA部门和利益集团之间的联系。在组织生态学和网络理论的见解的指导下，本研究使用多级离散时间事件历史分析来测试生态因素如何影响主动ICA成员放弃联系的决定。使用纵向样本对2009年至2015年期间的1,282个活跃成员和23个部门和利益集团进行了实证分析。结果表明，解散领带的可能性受到个人组织成员资格时间长度的显着限制，部门或兴趣小组的模糊密度（通常被认为是合法性认知的代表）和小组的对比（衡量小组身份的清晰度和歧义度的一种方法）。讨论了理论和实践意义。