Social Networks among Russian Information and Communication Technology Professionals

Abstract

This article analyses the extent to which the economic actions of Russian information and communication technology (ICT) professionals are embedded in and influenced by their personal networks. The study is based on empirical data collected in 2004 in St Petersburg, one of the strongholds of Russian ICT. By focusing on the personal networks among the St Petersburg professionals the article seeks to illuminate the role and function of social ties in economic decisions. What are their significant social relations like? What kinds of resources get distributed through these ties? Answering these questions helps both to refine the notion of the ‘social embeddedness’ of economic action and to shed light on the nature of the new Russian economy.