RAND_MR1382

there are relatively strong, direct, intense, frequent, or positive ties; the extent to which
the relationships and transactions within it are regulated by explicit or tacit rules; and
the number and diversity of actors within the network. Whatever the focus, however,
there is a recognition of the flexibility and dynamism of social networks, qualities that
stem from the ways in which ties are constantly formed and strengthened or weakened
and broken.
Partly because of this dynamism, some sociologists conclude that network-based
organizations are capable of superior performance than are more traditionally
structured hierarchical organizations, especially in terms of adaptability to changes in
their environment. This conclusion is reinforced by a growing literature on business
networks—literature that has particular relevance to the discussion here since organized
crime is perhaps best understood in quasi-Clausewitzian terms as the continuation of
business by criminal means.
Business Networks. The focus on networks in business has emerged in response to the
limitations, rigidities, and inefficiencies associated with strict hierarchical structures, the
need to exploit globalization through partnerships and strategic alliances, and a desire
to emulate the Japanese success with the keiretsu (regularized networks of suppliers that
enhance the efficiency of the production process). It has also emerged out of a
recognition that understanding the opportunities provided by “structural holes” (see
below) can be critically important for the success of a business in a competitive
environment. 13
The notion of business networks has been developed most explicitly, however, in the
concept of the virtual corporation and its dependence on what are sometimes termed
“agile networks.” 14 Such notions place considerable emphasis on flexible internal
communication networks; connections to other organizations; shared interests in
obtaining certain outcomes; the need to respond rapidly to external opportunities and
challenges; the capacity for environmental scanning, rapid information-processing, and
quick decisionmaking; and the capacity of the organization to learn and adapt.
It is clear even from this abbreviated discussion of network organizations in business
that a rich and varied research agenda has resulted in many important insights, some of
which are as relevant to the functioning of criminal networks as they are to any other
kind of enterprise network. Indeed, another important strand of research underlying the
present analysis is the studies of networks that have been undertaken by analysts
focusing directly on organized crime.
Dimensions of Criminal Networks
Although networks are an important, and somewhat neglected, form of criminal
organization, they are not the sole or exclusive form. The traditional hierarchical model
long associated with Mafia families in the United States, for example, does not need to