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"Swimming Around in Their Own Ponds": The Weakness of Strong Ties in Developing Innovative Practices

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  • Denise Fletcher

    (Nottingham Business School, The Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 3BU, UK)

Abstract

This paper identifies how strong ties that have been nurtured and institutionalised over a number of years can be more inhibitive in generating innovation processes in organisations than in mobilising them. Close attention is given to sentiment and friendship relations within a small family firm to highlight how these ties are mobilised to obstruct innovative practices. A network approach is adopted to identify how individuals within the company attribute value and meaning to the different interactions they have with colleagues in the company. It is proposed that this view of organisational networks provides valuable insights into the nurture and embedment of workplace values and explains why, in some companies, there are difficulties in adopting innovative practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Denise Fletcher, 1998. ""Swimming Around in Their Own Ponds": The Weakness of Strong Ties in Developing Innovative Practices," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 137-159.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:02:y:1998:i:02:n:s1363919698000079
    DOI: 10.1142/S1363919698000079
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    Cited by:

    1. Donald O. Wilson & John E. Ettlie, 2018. "Boundary Spanning, Group Heterogeneity and Engineering Project Performance," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(06), pages 1-35, December.

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