Structuring relations in on-the-job networks

Abstract I examine the social relational dimensions of work in a large corporation. Analysis of on-the-job networks, consisting of various ties regularly involved in carrying out routine jobs, indicates the considerable and systematic influence of prescribed organizational structure in shaping emergent relational patterns. In particular, ego's formal hierarchical position is a major factor in constraining and structuring variations in the networks. Ties are also found to be differentiated and selectively bundled along the organizational hierarchy with respect to relational content. The preferred model bridges the dichotomy between formal, prescribed networks and informal, emergent networks, relating the two in a specific way. Furthermore, the model fleshes out the implications of kinds of ties in hierarchical organizational settings.

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