Extent Of Embeddedness Research Articles

Upward contacts in everyday life: Benefits of reaching hierarchical relations in ego-centered networks

Recent studies have inspired inquiries about what circumstances allow people to gain from interactions with those who rank higher than themselves in the social hierarchy. We examine how self-reported benefits of such upward contacts vary by tie strength and network structures in everyday life. Data were drawn from contact diaries that 137 individuals recorded over seven months in 2014; these diaries captured unique features of 94,353 one-on-one contacts that 137 diary keepers made, along with the estimated tie strength and the extent of embeddedness among network members. Multilevel models with interaction terms show that diary keepers benefit from contacts with people who play higher hierarchical roles and that the benefits become more substantial when the higher-ranked others are weakly tied to the diary keepers and connected with fewer fellow network members. The paper extends contact diary studies to estimate alter-alter ties that help construct comprehensive structures in egocentric networks.

The nature and potential of corporate governance in developing countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide detailed findings regarding the perceived role of corporate governance in Zambia. There have been no detailed studies of opinions in a setting such as Zambia, i.e. a nation which has experienced relative political calm and which has an abundance of natural resources – but where corporate governance failures have been blamed directly for economic difficulties.Design/methodology/approachThe study reports the results of a series of 24 in-depth interviews with Zambians, including politicians, regulators, senior business executives, transnational organisation representatives, academics and governance consultants. The discussions were conducted face-to-face and recorded in all cases.FindingsUnderstanding of corporate governance is at an embryonic stage in Zambia, but embedded corruption is likely to require addressing before any meaningful change is likely. A range of isomorphic forces appear to be prevalent and the study argues that root and branch change in structures and attitudes is a necessity if improvements are to be forthcoming. The paper concludes with a call for unity in purpose and recognition of current malignancies.Originality/valueDespite Zambia’s idiosyncrasies, the evidence suggests that a pan-African picture is emerging, with growing awareness of the potential benefits of improved corporate behaviour – but deep cynicism exists about the likelihood of these arising given corruption in reward structures. Such is the extent of embeddedness in power amongst those who benefit from current arrangements that both mimetic and coercive forces are argued to be ranged against any shift in extant systems and processes.

From the Head and the Heart: Locating Cognition- and Affect-Based Trust in Managers' Professional Networks

This article investigates the configuration of cognition- and affect-based trust in managers’ professional networks, examining how these two types of trust are associated with relational content and structure. Results indicate that cognition-based trust is positively associated with economic resource, task advice, and career guidance ties, whereas affect-based trust is positively associated with friendship and career guidance ties but negatively associated with economic resource ties. The extent of embeddedness in a network through positive ties increases affect-based trust, whereas that through negative ties decreases cognition-based trust. These findings illuminate how trust arises in networks and inform network research that invokes trust to explain managerial outcomes.

Potential influences of a net-spinning caddisfly (Trichoptera:Stenopsyche marmorata) on stream substratum stability in heterogeneous field environments

The influence of the net-spinning caddisfly larva Stenopsyche marmorata on streambed substratum stability was examined in 14 riffles of 5 rivers in northern Hokkaido, Japan. In each riffle, 6 representative stones were measured and 7 variables were quantified for each stone: 1) ambient flow velocity, 2) ambient depth, 3) extent of embeddedness, 4) force required to initiate shifting of the stone parallel to the flow direction, 5) biomass of S. marmorata living on and under the stone, 6) wet mass of the stone, and 7) size of the stone. Regression analyses were used to examine which of the variables best predicted the coherent strength of a particle with the stream bed (FC). Riffle-scale patterns derived from the means of 6 stones showed significant influences of biomass of S. marmorata/stone and embeddedness on FC; however, the collinearity of these 2 variables hindered evaluation of their relative importance. At the stone scale, biomass of S. marmorata/stone was positively related to FC when standardized for the degree of stone embeddedness. FC of stones inhabited by S. marmorata at the maximum range of their biomass is predicted to be 50 to 260% greater than FC of stones without S. marmorata. The effects of biological consolidation of substratum particles by S. marmorata probably are substantial, even in inherently heterogeneous natural environments.