Introducing an egocentric method to explore information flow in a postflood governance network

Abstract

Governance networks that are affected by, and that must respond to, wicked problems, such as flooding, are highly complex. While we cannot capture all the social interactions that underly these structures, we can realistically describe this complexity from the perspective of the involved individuals. Thus, the article presented here addresses the question how to take into consideration the individuals' egocentric perspective in the analysis of governance networks that respond to wicked problems. In response to this question we offer concrete methodological guidelines for readers who wish to systematically map and compare egocentric networks. We demonstrate the usefulness of this template with an integrated analysis of the networks of four individuals who operate in a postflood governance context in Germany. We also present evidence that the template produces reliable data on the density, mutuality, and breadth of individuals' networks that support realistic and comparable descriptions.