ABSTRACT

Prior research found that re-activating latent ties (relationships lost for an extended period) can create substantial value. The present study examines previously unanswered research questions: how latent ties are formed and how their interplay with strong ties impacts individuals’ innovative performance. We applied hierarchical linear modelling to field data collected from R&D scientists and their managers in a large multinational high-tech firm in a longitudinal study. Our results suggest that a high level of network similarity and a lengthy social tie positively affect latent ties’ formation. The results also indicate that having additional reconnectable latent ties can increase individuals’ innovative performance. Yet, the latent ties become a lesser source of social capital for innovation when strong ties are abundant. Therefore, our findings offer insights into the tie formation process and when people’s latent relationships can be predicted to be beneficial for innovation.

摘要

先前的研究发现，重新激活潜在联系（长期失去的关系）可以创造巨大的价值。本研究探讨了以前未解决的研究问题：潜在联系是如何形成的，以及它们与强联系的相互作用如何影响个人的创新绩效。在一项纵向研究中，我们将分层线性模型应用于从一家大型跨国高科技公司的研发科学家及其经理那里收集的现场数据。我们的结果表明，高水平的网络相似性和长期的社会关系对潜在关系的形成有积极影响。结果还表明，拥有额外的可重新连接的潜在联系可以提高个人的创新绩效。然而，当强联系很丰富时，潜在联系成为创新社会资本的次要来源。所以，