DPP visiting professor publishes paper in European Economic Review

The paper asks the question of who are the most influential individuals in social networks? It shows that opinion leaders are those who listen to many others and talk to the front men. These findings have important implications. Each organization is characterized by a specific pattern of relations that determines information flows within and across its boundaries. The influential listeners model points out that the beliefs on a decision relevant issue may give excessive weight to
those who occupy a particular position in such a network. Top managers’ views on a strategic issue may be erroneously biased towards the opinion of external consultants rather than middle management, since the former are known to be in touch with a larger share of the business community.