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Under-connected and over-connected networks: the role of externalities in strategic network formation

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  • Berno Buechel
  • Tim Hellmann

Abstract

Since the seminal contribution of Jackson & Wolinsky 1996 [A Strategic Model of Social and Economic Networks, JET 71, 44-74] it has been widely acknowledged that the formation of social networks exhibits a general conflict between individual strategic behavior and collective outcome. What has not been studied systematically are the sources of inefficiency. We approach this omission by analyzing the role of positive and negative externalities of link formation. This yields general results that relate situations of positive externalities with stable networks that cannot be “too dense” in a well-defined sense, while situations with negative externalities tend to induce “too dense” networks.
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  • Berno Buechel & Tim Hellmann, 2012. "Under-connected and over-connected networks: the role of externalities in strategic network formation," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 16(1), pages 71-87, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reecde:v:16:y:2012:i:1:p:71-87
    DOI: 10.1007/s10058-012-0114-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Erol, Selman & Vohra, Rakesh, 2022. "Relationship externalities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    2. Hellmann, Tim & Staudigl, Mathias, 2014. "Evolution of social networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 234(3), pages 583-596.
    3. Rahmi İlkılıç & Hüseyin İkizler, 2019. "Equilibrium refinements for the network formation game," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 23(1), pages 13-25, June.
    4. Christophe Bravard & Sudipta Sarangi & PHILIPP MÖHLMEIER & AGNIESZKA RUSINOWSKA & EMILY TANIMURA, 2016. "A Degree-Distance-Based Connections Model with Negative and Positive Externalities," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 18(2), pages 168-192, April.
    5. Berno Buechel & Tim Hellmann, 2012. "Under-connected and over-connected networks: the role of externalities in strategic network formation," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 16(1), pages 71-87, March.
    6. Liza Charroin, 2016. "The effect of sequentiality and heterogeneity in network formation games," Working Papers 1629, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    7. Antoine Mandel & Van-Quy Nguyen & Bach Dong-Xuan, 2024. "Strategic formation of production networks," Papers 2401.08929, arXiv.org.
    8. Isabel Melguizo, 2023. "Group representation concerns and network formation," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 151-179, January.
    9. Möhlmeier, Philipp & Rusinowska, Agnieszka & Tanimura, Emily, 2018. "Competition for the access to and use of information in networks," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 48-63.
    10. König, Michael D. & Battiston, Stefano & Napoletano, Mauro & Schweitzer, Frank, 2012. "The efficiency and stability of R&D networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 694-713.
    11. repec:hal:pseose:hal-01387467 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Tim Hellmann, 2013. "On the existence and uniqueness of pairwise stable networks," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 42(1), pages 211-237, February.
    13. Dawid, Herbert & Hellmann, Tim, 2014. "The evolution of R&D networks," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 158-172.
    14. Fabio Dio & Luca Correani, 2020. "Quality-improving and cost-reducing strategic alliances," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 37(2), pages 493-524, July.
    15. László Á. Kóczy, 2022. "Core-stability over networks with widespread externalities," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 318(2), pages 1001-1027, November.
    16. Charroin, Liza, 2023. "Heterogeneity in sequential network formation games," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    17. Chih-Sheng Hsieh & Michael D. König & Xiaodong Liu, 2012. "Network formation with local complements and global substitutes: the case of R&D networks," ECON - Working Papers 217, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Feb 2017.
    18. Pramod C. Mane & Kapil Ahuja & Nagarajan Krishnamurthy, 2020. "Stability, efficiency, and contentedness of social storage networks," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 287(2), pages 811-842, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Networks; Connections; Externalities; Spillovers; Stability; Efficiency; D85; C72; L14;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation

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