文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Larger or Broader: Performance Implications of Size and Diversity of the Knowledge Worker's Egocentric Network

作者：Chen, Liang[1];Gable, Guy G.[2]

机构：[1]E China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Business, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China;[2]Queensland Univ Technol, Sch Informat Syst, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia

年份：2013

卷号：9

期号：1

起止页码：139

外文期刊名：MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION REVIEW

收录：;WOS:【SSCI(收录号:WOS:000315593900006)】；

语种：英文

外文关键词：knowledge worker; network dispersion evenness; network dispersion richness; network diversity; network size; performance

摘要：Management scholars and practitioners emphasize the importance of the size and diversity of a knowledge worker's social network. Constraints on knowledge workers' time and energy suggest that more is not always better. Further, why and how larger networks contribute to valuable outcomes deserves further understanding. In this study, we offer hypotheses to shed insight on the question of the diminishing returns of large networks and the specific form of network diversity that may contribute to innovative performance among knowledge workers. We tested our hypotheses using data collected from 93 R&D engineers in a Sino-German automobile electronics company located in China. Study findings identified an inflection point, confirming our hypothesis that the size of the knowledge worker's egocentric network has an inverted U-shaped effect on job performance. We further demonstrate that network dispersion richness (the number of cohorts that the focal employee has connections to) rather than network dispersion evenness (equal distribution of ties across the cohorts) has more influence on the knowledge worker's job performance. Additionally, we found that the curvilinear effect of network size is fully mediated by network dispersion richness. Implications for future research on social networks in China and Western contexts are discussed.