Small-World Networks On Broadway – Collaboration and Creativity
Link to the Online Resource: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/uzzi’s_research_papers/0900904.pdf
In the research paper, Uzzi and Spiro manifest that creativity is not just an individual trait. Creative individuals are often embedded in a network of artists or scientists who shared ideas and acted as both critics and fans for each other. Here, the concept of small world is very prominent. By studying all Broadway shows from 1945 to 1989, the authors analyze and compare profits and favorable reviews from critics, thus considering both economic and artistic recognition.
To produce a Broadway show, a team of multiple positions, such as directors and actors, is needed. This kind of structure shown above on the left is called bipartite-affiliation networks, where individuals can collaborate within teams while belonging to multiple teams. It can be seen that an individual, such as B, can get involved in different teams at the same time. Later, the authors convert this type of networks into regular unit networks and examine their dynamic changes over time, including new shows and network growth.
Moreover, the authors implement the concept of Small-world Quotient (Q) (the greater the Q, the greater the network’s small world nature) to determine Broadway’s small world degree. In this way, they compare the situations of networks in different years when there is a different level of Q.
After a series of investigations, it is discovered that a moderate Q is the most suitable small-world degree for creativity. When Q is very low, there are few links between clusters, and creativity is isolated. When Q is very high, there are many links between clusters, but there is no creative distinctiveness. Therefore, when Q is moderate, there are distinct clusters with novel ideas and connections between clusters for ideas to travel, resulting in the most impressive economic and artistic recognition.
This topic serves as an example of the small-world phenomenon mentioned in the course – the idea that the world looks “small” when you think of how short a path of friends it takes to get from you to almost anyone else. As shown above, in a network with small Q, the groups of individuals are separate from each other, making it really difficult for an idea to flow from one group to another. In a network with high Q, the groups of individuals are very connected and have a lot of members working for multiple teams, making it very easy to spread ideas. As the small-world phenomenon is very similar to the concept of six degrees of separation, it suggests that small-world networks with low degrees of separation can have resources, whether tangible or intangible, easily transported between individuals. Here, as Q increases, the difficulty for each team to know other teams’ ideas decreases.
This research also highlights the strength and importance of closure and bridging, as the connections and edges are key to the movement of social capital. In this case, the individuals who work in multiple teams are the crucial facilitators of group activities, such as brainstorming, since they have the ability to bring new and creative ideas to various teams. Without the presence of these nodes, each connected component will remain alone, and the quality of their eventual Broadway production might be limited. On the other hand, as suggested by the authors of the research, in order to make creativity thrive, the networks should not be too connected. Successful productions need creative distinctiveness to become unique and fascinating to attract audiences. These course concepts also help explain why a moderate Q (small-world quotient) is the best for creativity and collaboration on Broadway.