Open AccessHyperlinks as Institutionalized Connective Public Goods for Collective Action Online
Author(s) -
Fu Jiawei Sophia,
Shumate Michelle
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of computer‐mediated communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.15
H-Index - 119
ISSN - 1083-6101
DOI - 10.1111/jcc4.12161
Subject(s) - homophily , hyperlink , collective action , centrality , interdependence , social network analysis , social network (sociolinguistics) , civil society , action (physics) , political science , public relations , china , sociology , world wide web , computer science , social capital , social media , web page , social science , law , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , mathematics , combinatorics
Nongovernmental organization ( NGO ) hyperlink networks are institutionalized connective public goods. They influence which actors and what aspects of social issues are made visible to the public in search engine results. To understand how contextual forces and institutional pressures influence who hyperlinks to whom online, this research examines a hyperlink network of 410 NGOs with various social missions operating across China. It suggests that institutional factors external to the network impact the structure of NGO hyperlink networks. In particular, institutional convener and legal registration status induce homophily hyperlinking effects among organizations, controlling for network interdependencies and other organizational attributes. Implications for hyperlink networks, institutional homophily, NGO collective action, and the development of civil society in China are drawn from the results.