Assessing How Advice And Friendship Ties Form Cohesive And Non-Redundant Networks

Abstract

Research has suggested that the combined effects of network-cohesion or -closures and the spanning of structural holes and non-redundant ties can leverage innovation and creative ideas. However, we do not know what kinds of social relations have the strongest propensity to form such beneficial network properties. By analyzing and comparing triad census distribution of advice- and friendship-relations in two different firms, I find that friendship ties have a stronger propensity than advice ties to form both network closures and structural holes. Friendship ties may accordingly play a crucial role in leveraging innovative and creative ideas, and I discuss the findings’ implications for knowledge management practice.