IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecdequ/v32y2018i3p210-224.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are Social Networks a Double-Edged Sword? A Case Study of Defense Contractors

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaobing Shuai
  • Christine Chmura

Abstract

Utilizing a survey of defense contractors in the New England region, this study explores the effect of social networks on business performance—measured by annual employment growth and market diversification—during a time when defense spending in the United States was contracting. In contrast to prevailing literature focusing on entrepreneurial firms, this study offers insights on how social networks function in defense contractors, which tend to be mature firms. The main conclusion is that having more network connections is associated with faster short-term employment growth (from 2014 to 2015) for defense contractors, but there is a limit to that benefit. The analysis also shows that social networks do not aid market diversification for defense contractors. This poses an interesting challenge for defense contractors, as they need to balance the priorities of short-term growth and long-term success.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaobing Shuai & Christine Chmura, 2018. "Are Social Networks a Double-Edged Sword? A Case Study of Defense Contractors," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 32(3), pages 210-224, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecdequ:v:32:y:2018:i:3:p:210-224
    DOI: 10.1177/0891242418785458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0891242418785458
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0891242418785458?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Watson, John, 2007. "Modeling the relationship between networking and firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 852-874, November.
    2. Lechner, Christian & Dowling, Michael & Welpe, Isabell, 2006. "Firm networks and firm development: The role of the relational mix," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 514-540, July.
    3. Criscuolo, Chiara & Gal, Peter N. & Menon, Carlo, 2014. "The dynamics of employment growth: new evidence from 18 countries," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60286, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Christian Lechner & Michael Dowling, 2003. "Firm networks: external relationships as sources for the growth and competitiveness of entrepreneurial firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 1-26, January.
    5. Shanshan Qian & Bruce H. Kemelgor, 2013. "Boundaries Of Network Ties In Entrepreneurship: How Large Is Too Large?," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-19.
    6. Gernot Grabher & David Stark, 1997. "Organizing Diversity: Evolutionary Theory, Network Analysis and Postsocialism," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5), pages 533-544.
    7. Kalm, Matias, 2012. "The Impact of Networking on Firm Performance - Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms in Emerging Technology Areas," Discussion Papers 1278, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patrizia Pastore & Antonio Ricciardi & Silvia Tommaso, 2020. "Contractual networks: an organizational model to reduce the competitive disadvantage of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Europe’s less developed regions. A survey in southern Italy," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1503-1535, December.
    2. Semrau, Thorsten & Werner, Arndt, 2009. "How exactly do networking Investments pay off? Analyzing the impact of nascent Entrepreneurs networking Investments on Access to Start-Up Resources," MPRA Paper 18350, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Susanna Slotte–Kock & Nicole Coviello, 2010. "Entrepreneurship Research on Network Processes: A Review and Ways Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 31-57, January.
    4. Christopher Hayter, 2013. "Conceptualizing knowledge-based entrepreneurship networks: perspectives from the literature," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 899-911, December.
    5. Jean–Luc Arregle & Bat Batjargal & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb & Toyah Miller & Anne S. Tsui, 2015. "Family Ties in Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks and New Venture Growth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 313-344, March.
    6. Tan, Justin & Yang, Jun & Veliyath, Rajaram, 2009. "Particularistic and system trust among small and medium enterprises: A comparative study in China's transition economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 544-557, November.
    7. Idris, Bochra & Saridakis, George, 2018. "Local formal interpersonal networks and SMEs internationalisation: Empirical evidence from the UK," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 610-624.
    8. Bliemel Martin J. & McCarthy Ian P. & Maine Elicia M.A., 2014. "An Integrated Approach to Studying Multiplexity in Entrepreneurial Networks," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 4(4), pages 1-36, October.
    9. Huber, Franz, 2013. "Knowledge-sourcing of R&D workers in different job positions: Contextualising external personal knowledge networks," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 167-179.
    10. Bilitis Schoonjans & Philippe Cauwenberge & Heidi Bauwhede, 2013. "Formal business networking and SME growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 169-181, June.
    11. Rouma Bucktowar & Akin Kocak & Kesseven Padachi, 2015. "Entrepreneurial Orientation, Market Orientation And Networking: Impact On Innovation And Firm Performance," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(04), pages 1-22, December.
    12. Maurizio Cisi & Francesco Devicienti & Alessandro Manello & Davide Vannoni, 2016. "The Impact of Formal Networking on the Performance of SMEs," Working papers 039, Department of Economics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    13. Thorsten Semrau & Arndt Werner, 2014. "How Exactly Do Network Relationships Pay Off? The Effects of Network Size and Relationship Quality on Access to Start–Up Resources," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(3), pages 501-525, May.
    14. Enrico Baraldi & Antonella La Rocca & Andrea Perna & Ivan Snehota, 2020. "Connecting IMP and entrepreneurship research: Directions for future research," Post-Print hal-03181351, HAL.
    15. Boine Kim & Byoung-Goo Kim, 2023. "An Explorative Study of Resilience Influence on Business Performance of Korean Manufacturing Venture Enterprise," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, April.
    16. Annika Veh & Markus Göbel & Rick Vogel, 2019. "Corporate reputation in management research: a review of the literature and assessment of the concept," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(2), pages 315-353, December.
    17. Høvig Øystein & Pettersen Inger Beate & Aarstad Jarle, 2018. "Entrepreneurial Causation vs. Effectuation in a Business Incubation Context: Implications for Recruiting Policy and Management," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, January.
    18. Izaias Martins, 2016. "Network Usage, Entrepreneurial Orientation and Their Effectiveness on SMEs Growth," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 25(1), pages 18-41, March.
    19. Robert Huggins & Andrew Johnston, 2009. "Knowledge Networks in an Uncompetitive Region: SME Innovation and Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 227-259, June.
    20. Julia Keidel & Peter M. Bican & Frederik J. Riar, 2021. "Influential Factors of Network Changes: Dynamic Network Ties and Sustainable Startup Embeddedness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecdequ:v:32:y:2018:i:3:p:210-224. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.