Table 2.
Results of stakeholder network analysis.
| Network | Type | Structural characteristics | Cohesion | Centrality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nodes | Edges | Components | Isolates | Largest component nodes | Average path length | Density | Highest in-degrees† | Highest out-degrees‡ | Highest betweenness§ | ||
| Policy/regulatory | Directed | 32 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 3.04 | 0.04 | MHC(3) | NHC(9) | PHC(10.5) |
| Technical advisory | Directed | 33 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 2.19 | 0.03 | CNLIC(3) CNSIC Ltd. (3) | HCPs(22) | 0 |
| Collaboration | Undirected | 57 | 156 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 3.06 | 0.10 | N/A | N/A | HCPs(501) |
| Advocacy/promotion | Directed | 25 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2.15 | 0.04 | Public(17) | OLSC(2) MHC(2) PHC(2) |
OLSC(2) |
†In-degree measures the number of links directed toward a stakeholder, indicating how frequently the stakeholder is referenced, targeted, or receives actions from others within a given network.
‡Out-degree measures the number of links initiated by a stakeholder and directed toward others, indicating how frequently the stakeholder provides guidance, initiates actions, or communicates with other actors.
§Betweenness centrality values are unnormalized scores and therefore may exceed 1; they represent centrality scores rather than numbers of relationships.
NHC, National Health Commission; PHC, Provincial Health Commission; MHC, Municipal Health Commission; CNLIC, China National Light Industry Council; HCPs, Healthcare providers; OLSC, Other Local Salt Companies; CNSIC Ltd., China National Salt Industry Corporation.
N/A indicates that the measure was not applicable because collaboration relationships were treated as undirected networks and therefore in-degree and out-degree were not calculated. A value of 0 indicates that no stakeholder had a measurable bridging role based on betweenness centrality in the corresponding network. Values in parentheses represent the corresponding centrality scores.