Research Summary
Research Summary
On the Origins of Brokerage in Intraorganizational Networks
Description
While we have ample empirical evidence linking brokerage in intraorganizational social networks to both individual and firm-level benefits, we know little about its origins. Prior research describes correlations between rough demographic categories and network structure, but offers little insight into the mechanisms by which actors develop those networks over time. In this study, I examine the role of individual career history in determining the origins of brokerage. Career ladders link disparate components of the firm in such a way that bridging ties are forged as a by-product. I hypothesize that bridging ties result from two distinct mechanisms. First, mobility modifies the opportunity structure available to individuals to interact with former colleagues who are now distant in the organizational and social structure. Second, net of the richer opportunity structure that results from mobility, cosmopolitan individuals show greater propensity to interact across organizational and social distance. Further, the effect of mobility on network structure is contingent on the particular sequence of jobs held. Career history is recorded longitudinally for a sample of over 30,000 employees; network position is measured using a data set of over 150 million electronic mail messages, calendar meetings, and teleconferences. Preliminary results suggest that the career ladder does create bridging ties; that brokerage characterizes individuals with diverse career histories and that this brokerage results from both greater opportunity and more cosmopolitan propensity; and that certain patterns of career mobility are more likely to result in brokerage than are others.