Know-How or Know-Who: Sociocultural Upbringing and Organizational Social Networks

Abstract

Organizations are a key venue where individuals from different backgrounds have the opportunity to interact and yet we know very little about how social class background shapes interactions within the workplace. There is reason to believe that the differing value systems of social class groups influence their attitudes and behavior towards workplace connections and relationship formation. This research considers how social class background affects organizational social networks as well as the class-distinct values and attitudes that shape networking behavior of employees. To study this phenomenon, we analyze a sample of 490 employees from a broad range of roles and organizations across the United States to find that (a) the attitude toward networking varies by class groups and mediate social class’s effect on network outcomes; (b) social class background affects class composition; and (c) social class mobility may affect these relationships. Additionally, I provide quantitative support that the middle social class hold central positions within organizations, particularly in connecting the lower and upper social class to one another, and thus merit more careful consideration by organizations and in future research.