Collective Action Problem Characteristics and Partner Uncertainty as Drivers of Social Tie Formation in Collaborative Networks
Abstract
enThe effectiveness of collaboration is often explained by the alignment of social networks with collective-action problem characteristics, yet previous research on social tie formation has focused almost exclusively on actor and relational attributes. We theorize that collective-action problem characteristics together with actor and relational attributes explain social tie formation and that the relative effect of these factors varies with uncertainty about collaboration partners. The study tests seven hypotheses associated with these factors by estimating multilevel network models of collaboration and task engagement among managers responding to a major wildfire in Sweden. The combination of actors and tasks in a single model captured key characteristics of the collective action problem (task engagements and task interdependencies), and disentangled the relative effects of these factors from actor and relational attributes. Results suggest that social tie formation can be explained both by actors’ task engagements, and actor attributes associated with leadership, professionalization, and experience. Further, the effect of task engagements decreases in organizational relationships where collaborative uncertainty is high. Since the alignment of social ties with problem characteristics is supposedly positively associated with collaborative effectiveness, this finding suggests that risk-aversion is a more deep-rooted driver of tie formation than the pursuit of collective performance.
Abstract
zh协作的有效性通常由社交网络与集体行动问题特征的一致性来解释，但此前对于社会关系形成的研究几乎完全集中在行为者和关系属性上。我们认为，集体行动问题特征与行为者和关系属性一起共同解释了社会关系的形成，并且这些因素的相对影响会随着合作伙伴的不确定性而发生变化。本研究估测了瑞典管理人员应对森林火灾时所形成的协作与任务参与的多层次网络模型，以此检验与上述影响因素相关的七个假设。在单个模型中，行为者和任务因素的组合可以体现出集体行动问题的关键特征（任务参与度和任务相互依赖性），并且这些因素的相对影响可以从行为者和关系属性的影响中分离出来。结果表明，行为者的任务参与度，以及与领导力、专业性和经验所相关的行为者属性可以解释社会关系的形成。此外，该研究还表明，在协作不确定性很高的组织关系中，任务参与度这一因素的影响降低。由于社会关系与问题特征的一致性被认为与协作有效性呈正相关关系，该研究的这一发现表明，驱动社会关系形成的深层次原因并不单单是来自对集体效能的追求，更多是出于对风险的规避。
