Chapter 2

Social Networks and Individual Performance

When social scientists talk about social networks and individual performance, they are referring to performance in terms of the consequences of network membership and social network characteristics that provide access to other individuals, information, resources, and choices, such as choices regarding new job opportunities. As you know, social capital is the resources—such as ideas, information, money, and trust—that you are able to access through your social network. Therefore, network-based performance is performance due to social capital.

You are probably familiar with the term six degrees of separation—though you may be less certain about the term’s indirect origins (no, it was not Kevin ...

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