Individual Cognitive Style and the Social Capital of Dense and Brokering Networks

• In Event: 314 - Regular Session. Organizations: Inter- and Intra-organizational Network Dynamics

Abstract

Research has shown that the network of social relations developed within the workplace affects employee productivity, but disagreements remain as to whether it is more beneficial to have a brokering or a dense social network. We address this puzzle by arguing that brokering and dense networks provide qualitatively different kinds of social capital, and that the extent to which employees benefit from each kind depends on their cognitive style. We test this argument by examining the cognitive style and complete intra-organizational network of all employees within a design and manufacturing firm (N=68). Our results show that employees with an Innovative cognitive style benefit from the social capital inherent in dense networks, while those with Adaptive cognitive styles profit from brokering networks. This study shows that individual-level cognition is a critical intervening mechanism in the relation between social networks and social capital, and it helps resolve the long-standing debate about the merits of brokering versus dense networks.

Authors

• Gianluca Carnabuci, University of Lugano

• Bálint Diószegi, University of Zurich