Timothy Williams

In order to effectively manage corporate reputations we need a better understanding of how they form and are likely to change over time - the topic of this paper. The paper makes use of the social network paradigm to begin to understand the significance of word of mouth and related effects within stakeholder networks. The paper is a work-in-progress linking social contagion and reputation.

The aim of this paper is to show how social network analysis may be used for Public Affairs. Network analysis is a methodology, not a theory. To be useful for Public Affairs, network analysis must be issue-based requiring an understanding of agency relations and rights granted and claimed. Once this is done an issue can be analysed as a network.