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The Contingent Effects of Social Network Sparseness and Centrality on Managerial Innovativeness

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  • Sze-Sze Wong
  • Wai Fong Boh

Abstract

Prior research has highlighted that network sparseness and network centrality enhance innovativeness through access to information and influence, respectively. We advance this perspective by exploring the extent to which individual actions are needed to mobilize information and influence accessed through social networks, and whether such information and influence would mutually reinforce to enhance managerial innovativeness. Our findings found partial support for the idea that actions are needed to actualize potential resources embedded in social networks, as centrally positioned managers enjoy higher innovativeness when they engage in ambassador activities. We also found that advice network sparseness and advice network centrality had independent, not interactive relationships with managerial innovativeness, suggesting that they offer distinct routes to achieving managerial innovativeness. Overall, our research clarifies the relationships of two important social network attributes on managerial innovativeness, and also sheds new light on how managerial action matters in realizing social network advantages for innovative ends.

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  • Sze-Sze Wong & Wai Fong Boh, 2014. "The Contingent Effects of Social Network Sparseness and Centrality on Managerial Innovativeness," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(7), pages 1180-1203, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:51:y:2014:i:7:p:1180-1203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Llopis, Oscar & DâEste, Pablo & Adrián A. Díaz-Faes, 2018. "Connections matter: the influence of network sparseness, network diversity and a tertius iungens orientation on innovation," INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) Working Paper Series 201801, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), revised 28 Oct 2019.
    2. Huiling Zhang & Yaokuang Li & Juan Wu & Li Ling, 2022. "How do the network structures of lead investors affect the following of distant strangers? Evidence from Chinese equity crowdfunding," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3516-3533, December.
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    5. Inhye Yoo & Chan-Goo Yi, 2022. "Economic Innovation Caused by Digital Transformation and Impact on Social Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Llopis, Oscar & D'Este, Pablo & Díaz-Faes, Adrián A., 2021. "Connecting others: Does a tertius iungens orientation shape the relationship between research networks and innovation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(4).
    7. Travis J. Grosser & David Obstfeld & Emily W. Choi & Meredith Woehler & Virginie Lopez-Kidwell & Giuseppe (Joe) Labianca & Stephen P. Borgatti, 2018. "A Sociopolitical Perspective on Employee Innovativeness and Job Performance: The Role of Political Skill and Network Structure," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(4), pages 612-632, August.
    8. Wang, Ming-Chao & Chen, Pei-Chen & Fang, Shih-Chieh, 2018. "A critical view of knowledge networks and innovation performance: The mediation role of firms' knowledge integration capability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 222-233.

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