Importance Of Strong Ties Research Articles

Weak ties matter: Social network dynamics of mobile media multiplexity and their impact on the social support and psychological well-being experienced by migrant workers

This study investigates the contextual and relational characteristics that underlie people’s information and communication technology (ICT) use and the implications for their well-being. We contextualize this investigation according to migrants, because they are faced with disruptions to their personal networks in the migration process that may attenuate the availability of social support and negatively affect their mental health. Migrants tend to be proficient in using mobile ICT to connect with different social ties to fulfill their needs, which potentially makes a difference to their psychological well-being. Through a survey of 504 internal migrant workers in China, we examined the social network factors that underlie multiple mobile ICT use and the attendant influences on social support and psychological well-being. Redressing the overemphasis on the importance of strong ties in extant literature, this study highlights the salience of mobile media multiplexity (i.e., the use of multiple mobile communication channels for social interactions) in weak tie communication and the greater contribution of weak ties toward social support and psychological well-being than strong ties. Our findings suggest that mobile-mediated communicative relationships with newer and more distanced social connections outside their immediate circles enhance the well-being of migrants. We contend that media multiplexity vis-à-vis weak ties underscores the reconfiguration of migrants’ communicative relationships following the separation from original ties and facilitates rewarding interactions with new ties.

Genius Loci & Entrepreneurial Innovation: Evidences from Patterns in the Florence-Prato District

This study aims at inquiring entrepreneurship in its relational dimension. In particular the paper analyses this concern with a contextualisation in the Florence-Prato district. Such an environment offers similar entrepreneurial resources as pre-conditions, the so-called genius loci. However, firms evolve differently due to their approach to opportunities, basing on network configurations. We used a qualitative longitudinal case studies based on a sample of eight firms belonging to the textile district, following their histories of innovation along a period of five years. A strong tie and weak tie approach is adopted to interpret the findings of a field research. Importance of strong ties which are strictly connect with the territory. Weak ties or serendipity events are mostly recalled in the discovering phase of a radical innovation. After an initial phase, strong ties come back into play in the implementation phase, to find means of practical feasibility. However, entrepreneurs differ: in some cases have assumed a causal logic, otherwise, entrepreneurs instead starting from a contingent situation have developed new scenarios for their firm.