Information and Management
The role of inter-unit coordination mechanisms in knowledge sharing: a case study of a British MNC
Journal of Information Science
Journal of Management Information Systems
The ties that bind: Social network principles in online communities
Decision Support Systems
Information Technology, Network Structure, and Competitive Action
Information Systems Research
Identifying different antecedents for closed vs open knowledge transfer
Journal of Information Science
Proceedings of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists Conference on Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership in a Diverse, Multidisciplinary Environment
International Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals
Complementary effects of clusters and networks on firm innovation: A conceptual model
Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
Proceedings of the 2013 conference on Computer supported cooperative work
Link Prediction for Bipartite Social Networks: The Role of Structural Holes
ASONAM '12 Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining (ASONAM 2012)
Hi-index | 0.00 |
This paper explores the tension between two opposite views on how networks create social capital. Network closure (Coleman 1988) stresses the role of cohesive ties in fostering a normative environment that facilitates cooperation. Structural hole theory (Burt 1992) sees cohesive ties as a source of rigidity that hinders the coordination of complex organizational tasks. The two theories lead to opposite predictions on how the structure of an actor's network may affect his ability to adapt that network to a significant change in task environment. Using data from a newly created special unit within the Italian subsidiary of a multinational computer manufacturer, we show that managers with cohesive communication networks were less likely to adapt these networks to the change in coordination requirements prompted by their new assignments, which in turn jeopardized their role as facilitators of horizontal cooperation within a newly created business unit structure. We conclude with a discussion of the trade-off between thesafety of cooperation within cohesive networks and theflexibility provided by networks rich in structural holes.