What Strong Ties Can Be Bridges? Theory and Evidence of Simile-weak Strong Ties

• In Event: 40860 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11. Finance, Credits, and Rules

Abstract

Abstract: Benefits of social ties with different strengths have long been summarized as two widely accepted conclusions in the American and European societies. On one hand, strong ties create a dense cohesion that provide exclusive trust and reciprocity for insiders at the cost of resource heterogeneity. On the other hand, weak ties bridging sparse cliques generate the advantages of resource diversity but suffer from bridge decay, mistrust, and opportunistic behaviors. These two mutually complementing conclusions seem to rule out the possibility of fulfilling both advantages by a single tie. In this article, we theorize and empirically examine such a possibility by introducing a new concept of “simile-weak strong tie (SST),” a strong-tie bridging heterogeneous and otherwise disconnected networks in the Chinese guanxi context. The basic property of SST is its strong-weak duality, which derives two testable hypotheses: (1) the particularism derived from the history of interactions between two alters of an SST empowers the mobilizability of strong-tie resources; (2) the lack of frequent interactions between two alters of an SST nurtures benefit of the heterogeneity-based weak-tie features. Empirical data analysis and computer simulations demonstrate these two hypnotized features of SST. Implications for future conceptualizations and operationalizations of SST are discussed.

Authors

• Shuhao Dong, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

• Lei Zhang, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

• Xinxiang Chen, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

• Cheng Cheng, Southeast University in China