Session Details

The talk was part of the session “Social Network Perspective of Strategic Human Capital” organized by the Strategic Human Capital Interest Group of the Strategic Management Society. The session consisted of four presentations research about social networks and human capital.

Gender Differences in the Use of Social Contacts in the Job Search Process

Authors. Kira Choi - EMLYON Business School

Abstract. Who is more likely to use social contacts to search for jobs, and why is this the case? Despite substantial evidence that social contacts improve individuals’ success in the process of job-seeking in various ways, previous studies point out that individuals with more social capital are not more likely to use social contacts to search for jobs than those with less social capital. By using records of job search activities on an online hiring platform, this paper seeks to explore variations in job seekers’ decisions to use recommendation letters in their job search process as well as their implications.

Differential Investments in and Returns to Social Capital for Men and Women

Authors. Paola Criscuolo - Imperial College London, Bill McEvily - University of Toronto, Brian Silverman - University of Toronto, Anne ter Wal - Imperial College London

Abstract. Two themes have emerged from organizational research on gender-based differences in social networks: women and men differ in the type of networks built and the extent of benefits realized from networks. We propose an analytical approach to distinguish between these differences in a way that permits a more precise estimate of each effect than has been achieved in prior research. We employ the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method to decompose the performance consequences of men’s and women’s social networks into the portion attributable to differences in networks built and in network payoffs. Our results indicate that roughly one-third of the difference between men’s and women’s rank within the organization is associated with differences in the networks built, and nearly two-thirds is associated with network payoffs.

Human Capital Comparison and Turnover Contagion: Evidence from the U.S. Accounting Auditors

Authors. Pingshu Li - University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, Juan Mao - University of Texas at San Antonio

Abstract. According to social comparison theory, employees compare not only their job attitudes but also their abilities. As such, this paper investigates the relationship between individual human capital comparison and turnover contagion. We propose that human capital similarity between a focal employee and a coworker who quits is positively related to turnover contagion. We further hypothesize that work interactions and multilevel contingency factors, including focal employee’s performance level, referent coworker’s performance level and job placement, and unit-level turnover rate and capability, will moderate this relationship. We will use a large representative dataset from the U.S. accounting firms to test these hypotheses. This study makes contributions to research in turnover contagion and collective turnover.

Who Steps Up After a Merger? A Social Network Perspective on Post-merger Taking Charge Behavior

Authors. Stefan Breet - Radboud University Nijmegen, Lotte Glaser - Erasmus University Rotterdam, Justin Jansen - Erasmus University Rotterdam

Abstract. Although prior research on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has suggested that cross-legacy boundary-spanners serve as organizational change agents, an emerging line of research highlights the costs of developing and maintaining boundary-spanning ties. Building on the social networks and organizational identification literatures, we develop a social network perspective on cross-legacy boundary-spanning and post-merger taking charge behavior. Our initial analysis of the social network of a post-merger organization suggests that cross-legacy boundary-spanning has a negative effect on taking charge behavior, while proximity to boundary-spanners has a positive effect. Our study also suggests that the positive effect of proximity on taking charge behavior is strongest for employees who weakly identify with the new organization.