Understanding Social Network Research

Question

What does the embeddedness argument say?

Answer 1

Work-related transactions tend to overlap with patterns of social relations, thus business is embedded in social networks and patterns of transactions within and between firms may depart from what might be expected from an economic perspective. People may prefer to do business with people they know rather than find exchange partners in the open market.

-> Therefore the path of advancement may be embedded in social relationships.

Answer 2

The potential resources inherent in an actor's set of social ties.

Answer 3

The benefits that accrue to the collectivity as a result of the maintenance of positive relations between different groups organizational units or hierarchical levels.

Answer 4

By connecting two otherwise disconnected cliques, performing the liaison role.

Answer 5

It focuses attention on the importance of these liaison and bridging ties. According to this perspective, actors can leverage their investments in social relations by establishing relations with a diverse set of groups (preferably groups that are not connected to each other).

Answer 6

text-decorationEntrepreneurial networks: Tend to be rich in structural holes. Low density of connection among the contacts

text-decorationClique networks: Tend to be constrained in the sense that the individual's contacts were themselves connected to each other.

text-decorationHierarchical networks: Tend to be the same size as clique networks, but with a low density, with many of reported ties branching out from one or a few people.