Ecological Network Embeddedness: Applying Food Web Theory to Organizational Network Vulnerability

Ecology offers sophisticated models for understanding complex interdependencies and cascading failures—think of how the loss of a single species can destabilize an entire ecosystem. Yet, organizational sociology rarely borrows these frameworks. Building on the “transferring conceptualizations analogously” heuristic, this project would operationalize analogues of keystone species, trophic levels, and ecological niches to examine which organizations are most crucial (or vulnerable) within their networks (see Wang et al. 2025; Genna et al. 2024). For example, what happens when a “keystone” organization exits a supply chain or PPP network? How do redundancy and diversity in ties buffer shocks? This ecological lens can reveal overlooked forms of risk and resilience, providing actionable insights on network design for robustness.

References:

1. Effects of dual network embeddedness in distinct organizational network levels on megaproject performance. Sen Wang, Heap-Yih Chong, Wei Zhang, Xin Xia, Yang Liu (2025). Engineering Construction and Architectural Management.
2. Regional Integration and Economic Development: Optimal or Messy Networks?. Gaspare M. Genna, Zining Yang, M. Abdollahian (2024). Journal of Economic Integration.