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The strength of weak ties you can trust: the mediating role of trust in effective knowledge transfer (2004)
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| Venue: | Management Science |
| Citations: | 239 - 7 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Levin04thestrength,
author = {Daniel Z. Levin and Rob Cross and Lisa C. Abrams},
title = {The strength of weak ties you can trust: the mediating role of trust in effective knowledge transfer},
journal = {Management Science},
year = {2004},
volume = {50},
pages = {1477--1490}
}
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Abstract
Recent research suggests that people obtain useful knowledge from others with whom they work closely and frequently (i.e., strong ties). Yet there has been limited empirical work examining why this is so. Moreover, other research suggests that weak ties provide useful knowledge. To help integrate these multiple findings, we propose and test a model of two-party (dyadic) knowledge exchange, with strong support in each of the three companies surveyed. First, the link between strong ties and receipt of useful knowledge (as reported by the knowledge seeker) was mediated by competence- and benevolence-based trust. Second, once we controlled for these two trust dimensions, the structural benefit of weak ties became visible. This latter finding is consistent with prior research suggesting that weak ties provide access to non-redundant information. Third, we found that competence-based trust was especially important for the receipt of tacit knowledge. We discuss implications for theory and practice. 2
Keyphrases
weak tie effective knowledge transfer useful knowledge strong tie knowledge exchange limited empirical work trust dimension structural benefit recent research tacit knowledge competence-based trust non-redundant information latter finding multiple finding strong support benevolence-based trust knowledge seeker prior research
