Role Of Social Ties Research Articles

The Role of Social Ties in Explaining Heterogeneity in the Association Between Economic Growth and Subjective Well-Being

Whether economic growth improves subjective well-being has been under debate. Studies that find such an association also document heterogeneity between countries in the magnitude of the relationship. We test a theoretical model in which economic growth enhances subjective well-being only when a large share of the population derives their subjective well-being from relational goods with positive externalities instead of positional goods with negative externalities. The choice between relational and positional goods is determined by individuals’ relational abilities and expectations which we operationalize as attachment security. We specifically test whether economic growth improves subjective well-being more in those countries where the average attachment security is higher. We find support for the hypothesis in the Eurobarometer data but less support in the World Values Survey data.

Cross-local ties to migrant neighborhoods: The resource transfers of out-migrating Turkish middle-class households

Our research looks into the cross-local ties of Turkish middle-class households who have moved out of inner-city migrant neighborhoods. Whereas previous research has predominantly focused on social networks within migrant neighborhoods, less attention has been paid to the ties of leaver households back to their migrant neighborhoods. When middle-class households move away from a migrant neighborhood, do they cut all ties with the old neighborhood and do their social, cultural and economic resources really become lost to it? The paper draws on research conducted in two big cities in Germany. Findings are based on qualitative interviews with Turkish-origin second-generation households and social network analysis. In analyzing cross-local ties back to the old neighborhood, we focus on the role of social ties, co-ethnic infrastructures, public familiarity and social participation. Research findings illustrate cross-local social and institutional ties maintained over years and challenging place-based perspectives on residential segregation.

Congestion control in social-based sensor networks: A social network perspective

Social-based sensor networks are prone to congestion due to the limited storage space on each node and the unpredictable end-to-end delay. In this paper, we aim to develop an efficient congestion control approach from the social network perspective. For this purpose, we first identify the role of social ties in the process of congestion and specify a list of major congestion factors. Based on these factors, we then model the congestion control as a multiple attribute decision making problem (MADM), in which the weight of congestion factors is measured by an entropy method. We present a MADM-based congestion control approach that determines a set of forwarding messages and its transmission order on each encounter event. Moreover, we design a buffer management scheme that deletes messages whose removal would incur the least impact upon the network performance when the buffer overflows. Extensive real-trace driven simulation is conducted and the experimental results finally validate the efficiency of our proposed congestion control approach.

‘The most important decisions are made in the sauna’: the role of social capital in creating intersectional privilege in the career narratives of Estonian male managers

This article contributes to discussions on social capital in relation to masculinities, as it explores how talking about relying on social capital legitimates and normalises the hegemonic status of intersectionally privileged unmarked groups. This is examined through narratives of ethnic Estonian male managers. The narratives suggest that while these managers make use of social capital as a resource available to them in securing work-related success, they underestimate, take for granted and do not challenge the prominent role of social ties in this process, discursively obscuring ways how social capital works in hiring and promotion. These discursive practices enable intersectionally privileged men not only to maintain successful careers, but also to reproduce their hegemonic status in the society more generally, as well as help to display complicity with hegemonic masculinity and participate in the construction of this ideal in the context of managerial work. Privileged groups who are able to pass as unmarked – such as elite ethnic majority men – have the power to legitimate in the context of work certain norms, values, rules and practices which do not stand out as unusual when practiced by these groups themselves, similarly to how whiteness constructs itself as normative.

Borrowing on Reputation: The Role of Social Ties in Syndicated Lending

From the 1980s to the year 2000, the market for syndicated loans – defined as multiple banks forming a group to lend to a single borrowing firm – grew in value from $20 billion to in excess of $1 t...

Racial/Ethnic and Nativity Differences in Birth Outcomes Among Mothers in New York City: The Role of Social Ties and Social Support

Immigrants have lower rates of low birth weight (LBW) and to some extent preterm birth (PTB), than their US-born counterparts. This pattern has been termed the 'immigrant health paradox'. Social ties and support are one proposed explanation for this phenomenon. We examined the contribution of social ties and social support to LBW and PTB by race/ethnicity and nativity among women in New York City (NYC). The NYC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey (2004-2007) data, linked with the selected items from birth certificates, were used to examine LBW and PTB by race/ethnicity and nativity status and the role of social ties and social support to adverse birth outcomes using bivariate and multivariable analyses. SUDAAN software was used to adjust for complex survey design and sampling weights. US- and foreign-born Blacks had significantly increased odds of PTB [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.43, 95% CI1.56, 3.77 and AOR=2.6, 95% CI1.66, 4.24, respectively] compared to US-born Whites. Odds of PTB among foreign-born Other Latinas, Island-born Puerto Ricans' and foreign-born Asians' were not significantly different from US-born Whites, while odds of PTB for foreign-born Whites were significantly lower (AOR=0.47, 95% CI0.26, 0.84). US and foreign-born Blacks' odds of LBW were 2.5 fold that of US-born Whites. Fewer social ties were associated with 32-39% lower odds of PTB. Lower social support was associated with decreased odds of LBW (AOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50, 0.96). We found stronger evidence of the immigrant health paradox across racial/ethnic groups for PTB than for LBW. Results also point to the importance of accurately assessing social ties and social support during pregnancy and to considering the potential downside of social ties.

Highly qualified rural youth: why do young graduates return to their home region?

This paper addresses the motivations underlying migration decision-making in the case of young university graduates returning to their rural home region in Switzerland. Empirical results show the joint role of social ties, living environment, and job opportunities, although the weight given to each of these factors varies between graduates. Some strategies used by the graduates to cope with a limited labour market are furthermore identified. I argue that internal migrations are far from being the sole consequence of labour market conditions and that a greater appreciation of non-economic issues is needed.

Widowhood and Depressive Symptoms Among Korean Elders: The Role of Social Ties

This study examines the impact of social ties on the relationship between widowhood and depressive symptoms among the older Korean population. Data were derived from the baseline survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. The sample consisted of 1,953 men and 2,469 women aged ≥60 years who were married and had at least 1 child. The 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was the outcome measure. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the influence of social ties as the mediators and moderators on the relationship between widowhood and depressive symptoms. The quality of relationship between women and their children accounted for 51.52% of the difference in depressive symptoms between married and widowed women, but only 11.36% between married and widowed men. The interaction of widowhood and the quality of relationships with children was significant only among men, and the interaction of this status and cohabitation with married children was significant only among women. The quality of relationship with children plays an important mediating role in the relationship between widowed status and depressive symptoms among Korean men and women elders. Cohabitation with children may buffer mental distress for such women, and qualitatively good relationships with children may be important as moderators for the mental health of older Korean men after bereavement.

IPO Underwriting Syndicates: Do Social Ties Help Get a Seat at the Table?

We examine the role of social ties in IPO underwriting syndicate formation and find that an investment bank is more likely to be included in the underwriting syndicate when it is connected to the IPO firm through interpersonal social ties between the respective executives and directors. These social ties generate better outcomes, consistent with a quid pro quo arrangement between the respective parties. The investment bank benefits by receiving higher compensation, a more senior role in the IPO, and greater share allocations. For the IPO firm, the presence of social ties between the IPO issuer and the chosen underwriters is associated with net wealth gains for its pre-IPO shareholders.

Understanding the Role of Social Ties in Informal Firm Success in Emerging Economies

Informal firms represent a major economic force in emerging economies, yet they remain poorly understood from an entrepreneurial perspective. This grounded research examines informal firms in Latin...

The Strength of Strong Ties in an Emerging Industry: A Joint Test for the Effects of Status Hierarchies and Personal Ties in Venture Capitalist Decision-Making

Drawing from social network theory, scholars have identified two ways in which social ties influence venture capital investment decisions: directly through personal ties and indirectly through status hierarchies. Previous research has examined these effects independently. Our study is the first to perform a joint examination of the role of social ties and status hierarchies in venture capital decision-making. We examine the relative importance of these two mechanisms through an adaptive choice-based conjoint (ACBC) experiment comprising of 3,132 investment decisions made by 86 venture capitalists from the United States and Europe. Our experimental context allows us to explore whether, under high levels of market uncertainty, strong personal ties exert more influence over investment decisions than the presence of a high-status investor in the deal. We also explore the moderating effects that market structure and experience play in shaping these decision processes. Our findings reveal that personal ties are more important in venture capital decision-making when compared to the relative status of other venture capital firms participating in the investment syndicate. Building on our main findings, we show that the influence of personal ties is less pronounced in the European investment community, as compared to more densely networked U.S. investors. We also find a U-shaped relationship between venture capitalist experience and the influence of personal networks on investment decisions.

Institutional investments in private equity funds: social ties and the reduction of information asymmetry

The reduction of information asymmetry between institutional investors and private equity (PE) firms is one of the key challenges for the successful fundraising of PE funds in an increasingly competitive market. Social ties provide a potential mechanism to reduce information asymmetry. Therefore, this paper investigates the role of social ties for institutional investments in PE funds. Based on our fieldwork and a data set of 136 institutional investors and PE firms in Germany, we show that both direct and indirect social ties influence the investment decisions of institutional investors for PE firms. This influence is not restricted to functions of information transfer but also includes mechanisms of trust building. Interestingly, direct and indirect ties reveal different effects. Direct ties transfer information and increase goodwill trust. Indirect ties also transfer information but show no effect on trust building. Our results suggest that social ties can reduce information asymmetry between institutional investors and PE firms and thereby help to establish a financing relationship.

Repayment performance in group lending: Evidence from Jordan

Using data from a survey of 160 urban borrowing groups of the Microfund for Women in Jordan, we investigate the effect of screening, peer monitoring, group pressure, and social ties on borrowing groups' repayment behavior as an indirect test of different theoretical models. The dependent variable used captures the intensity of default measured by the total number of days of late repayment after each due date, allowing us to use count data models with cluster standard errors. As theory predicts, our empirical analysis suggests that peer monitoring, group pressure, and social ties reduce delinquency. The paper uncovers interesting evidence about the role of social ties and religion. Most notably, in an area where religion contributes to attitudes and beliefs of individuals, we find that religiosity improves repayment performance.

The Role of Social Ties in Recovery in a Population of Homeless Substance Abusers

Objectives: Strong social ties are protective of substance abuse and predict greater odds of recovery among those affected. However, social ties are often disrupted among homeless men. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of social ties on the decision among homeless men to enter and continue treatment for substance use disorders. Methods: Ten participants in a residential therapeutic community treatment program were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Interview notes were divided into discrete ‘‘data units’’; common themes, concepts, words, and phrases were identified; and, finally, relationships between categories were delineated.

Men, Women, and Postrelease Offending

Numerous studies have examined the postrelease behaviors of men and women, highlighting the importance of social bonds in understanding positive reentry. However, there is evidence that the effect of social bonds on recidivism may vary by gender. Furthermore, research suggests that an individual’s propensity for criminality, including prior criminal history, may hinder the development and maintenance of positive social bonds and subsequently affect reentry transitions. The current study extends previous research in two ways. First, the authors examine gender differences in the sources of recidivism and focus on the role of social ties and criminal history in shaping recidivism risk. Next, the authors consider if the influence of parolees’ ties to their parents and intimate partners is conditioned by their criminal history. The results reinforce the importance of social ties, particularly to parents, for parolees; however, the results also suggest that male relationships with parents and intimate partners may be influenced by prior criminal involvement.

Strong Ties, Weak Ties, and Human Capital: Latino Immigrant Employment Outside the Enclave*

Abstract This study focuses on the role of social ties and human capital in the integration of Latino immigrants into the local economy. This analysis extends earlier research by focusing on more rural contexts with limited labor‐market opportunities and less access to social resources provided by coethnics. We reconsider conclusions of previous studies by focusing on areas with limited labor‐market opportunities and less access to resources provided by coethnics. Using data from in‐depth interviews, focus‐group discussions, and surveys of former farmworkers in five rural communities in New York, we consider how individuals move from agricultural to other types of employment. Multinomial logit and ordinary least squares regression analyses confirm indications from our qualitative data that strong social ties, weak ties, and human capital all play distinctive parts in the economic integration of immigrants outside the ethnic enclave. These resources have the most positive impact on incomes when they contribute to the immigrants' self‐reliance in finding employment. This finding is consistent with observations from the social‐network literature that those who are less reliant on strong social ties are better able to take advantage of a broader range of labor‐market opportunities.

Political and Social Roots of Economic Vices and Virtues: Evidence from Mexico - Executive Summary

This thesis consists of three essays on the understanding of political, social and industrial organization as roots of economic vices such as corruption and virtues such as social capital formation.The first essay is The Organization of Corruption. We study how corruption between the State and the private sector is organized. Exploiting differences in the political and industrial organization across states in Mexico, we explore how party permanency and industry structure determine the extent of corruption. Using microlevel data, we find that the political clout affects corruption in a non-linear manner. Corruption is higher for high and low levels of party permanency, and lower for intermediate levels. We also find that firms endowed with larger rents are more likely to corrupt officials in exchange for economic shelter, except when permanency seems unlikely.The second essay is Capital as Collateral in Microfinance. I explore the role of social capital as a form of collateral in microfinance programs, exploiting differences in levels of social capital across communities in Mexico. Social capital seems to serve as a form of collateral, as individuals in communities with higher levels of social capital are able to access larger loans, ceteris paribus. Clients with stronger direct ties to their peers also seem to have a higher borrowing capacity. Finally, social capital has a positive impact on clients' access to alternative sources of credit, and on their access to information on credit opportunities.The third essay is Ties and the Limits of Mutual Help in Microfinance. I look at the role of social ties in determining dropout rates from microfinance programs. Mutual help imposed by joint liability is especially taxing on safer borrowers, increasing their likelihood of dropping out. I test the hypothesis that the sustainability of mutual help arrangements in the face of risk heterogeneity depends on the possibility of transfers between clients, which is facilitated by social ties. I find that strength-of-ties reduces the likelihood of dropping out, and increases the likelihood of peers helping each other. Relatively safer clients and clients with better outside options drop out more often, but the strength of social ties mitigates this effect, increasing the degree of heterogeneity that safer clients tolerate.

Authority Versus Loyalty: Social Incentives and Governance

The role of social ties in governance is controversial. We theorize that this ambivalence is natural: Social ties transmit incentives between individuals, so how they affect governance hinges on the specific incentives transmitted. We show this in a principal-supervisor-agent model where the supervisor is friends with the agent and cherishes social recognition. Two modes of governance emerge that differ in whether the principal opposes or endorses the subordinates' friendship: one based on conflict and authority, the other on trust and loyalty. For empirics, this theory implies that, to sensibly evaluate their impact, social ties must be interacted with individual incentives.

Фрилансеры на электронных рынках: роль социальных связей

Фрилансеры на электронных рынках: роль социальных связей

<p class=MsoNormal align=left style='text-align:left;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none'>Knowledge and Organization: A Network Perspective</p> <p class=MsoNormal align=left style='margin-left:3.5pt;text-align:left; text-indent:-3.5pt;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none'> </p> <p class=MsoNormal> </p>

This paper focuses on the role of social ties in the knowledge flow within an organization from an interpersonal network perspective. In our theoretical study we identified four types of learning - Collaborative, Cooperative, Constrained and Competitive learning - based on the social connections between people or groups of people. Since human relationships tend to instable over time we also proposed a network learning cycle model that draws attention to the influence of social structures. We propose that the motivation of actors to share knowledge is dependent on network structure, cognition, and interpersonal relations.