Social Networks and Entrepreneurship
This proposal seeks funding for a 12 months sabbatical visit at the University of Chicago to study the link between social networks and entrepreneurship. The association between social structure and the entrepreneur’s access to ideas, resources and knowledge is well established. Yet, the role of network structure over time remains poorly understood. Building on social network data, survey data and behavioral data gathered for a large number of randomly sampled entrepreneurs, I will focus on four related questions: 1) How do entrepreneurs build social networks conducive to their business success? 2) To what extent are networks changing over the life-course of their business? 3) Which network resources are most crucial at different stages of the development? 4) How do behavioral patterns relate to the social structure around the entrepreneur? Results from this study will inform entrepreneurship and network research. They will also offer practical guidance for entrepreneurship education. Conducting this research at the University of Chicago serves three goals: First, I will be in the position to deepen and extend existing research collaborations. Second, participation in research seminars and lectures at one of the world’s leading business schools offers a unique “learning and development opportunity”. Third, being myself in the role of “a broker” bridging information between two institutions, I am confident to generate positive spillover-effects at LUSEM.
Final report
SOCIAL NETWORK STRUCTURE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FINAL REPORT SAB18-0191:1 (01/2019 – 12/2019) SONJA OPPER
This is a summary report of my 12 months sabbatical visit at the University of Chicago. The primary goal was to study the link between social networks and entrepreneurship. Central questions I have targeted were: 1) How do entrepreneurs build social networks conducive to their business success? 2) To what extent are networks changing over the life-course of their business? 3) Which network resources are most crucial at different stages of the development? 4) How do behavioral patterns relate to the social structure around the entrepreneur?
Institutional affiliation:
I developed and maintained collaborations with researchers at Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. At the same time I was accepted as an international research associate at the Center of East Asian studies. This allowed me to maintain conversations and discussions with scholars of Chinese studies as much as with colleagues at the economics and management discipline. Given the interdisciplinary nature of research I perceived this as an important factor.
Research output:
As described in my proposal, I have chosen the University of Chicago to be able to collaborate closely with Professor Ronald Burt. The local proximity and high frequency of face-to-face meetings as well as the exposure to a competitive group of network scholars contributed to a steady stream of research output, and to the development of novel ideas and research questions explored during my sabbatical visit.
Productivity and delivery on a grant is probably most aptly measured by the work that was generated under the given period of time. I will therefore list below the work that was either revised and completed or newly created under the sabbatical period. I also list the current publication status.
Journal publications:
Burt, Ronald S. and Sonja Opper. 2020. “Political Connection and Disconnection: Still a Success Factor for Chinese Entrepreneurs.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, in print, published online first: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1042258719893110.
Burzynska, Katarzyna and Sonja Opper, Interbank Relations, Environmental Uncertainties and Corporate Credit Access in China, Management and Organization Review, conditionally accepted.
Opper, Sonja, and Ronald S. Burt. Network Closure and Temporal Myopia,
Academy of Management Journal, R&R, revision submitted.
Burt, Ronald S., Sonja Opper and Hakan J. Holm. Trust and Cooperation Beyond the Network. Organization Science, R&R, currently being revised.
Burt, Ronald S., and Sonja Opper. What is Guanxi, American Journal of Sociology, R&R, currently being revised.
Burt, Ronald S., Sonja Opper and Na Zou. Social Network and Family Business: Uncovering Hybrid Family Firms, submitted to Management Organization Review, currently under review.
Opper, Sonja and Na, Zou. Network Structure and Trust Penalty. Currently prepared for submission to Social Networks.
Chapter:
Opper, Sonja. 2020. “Economic Change from an Institutional Perspectives.”
Handbook of Economic Sociology. Springer Nature, in print.
Research presentations:
Culture and Chinese Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, April 6, 2019
Political connection and disconnection: Still a success factor for Chinese entrepreneurs (Keynote) 10th Anniversary Conference of IESSR, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, June 29, 2019
Social Networks, Strategy, and Time: The network-Time compression Hypothesis, Academy of Management Association Meeting 2019
Surviving bad business behavior: Network structure and trust penalty, Oxford Reputation Symposium, Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation – Said Business School, August 30, 2019.
Political Connection and Disconnection, Invited seminar, Naveen Jindal School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas, October 25, 2019.
Ongoing research collaboration
As a result of my visit Ronald Burt and I are drafting a new survey module to continue our work on entrepreneurial networks in China. We hope to bring this study to the field in the course of 2020. The exact timing depends critically on the further development of the Corona-virus. The original plan was to run a pilot in May 2020.
This is, however, highly unlikely at this moment.
Further we have agreed to collaborate on a monograph highlighting the role of social networks in China. The monograph will draw on jointly published journal articles and offer further elaboration building on cases and in-depth interview material.
The intended publisher is Oxford University Press.
Revision of teaching program
A secondary motivation for my sabbatical was to develop my knowledge on social network theory to eventually incorporate network theory and method into my ongoing teaching program.
To this end I have audited classes on Strategic Management that covered substantial portions of social network analysis (spring teaching by Ronald S. Burt). After completion of this course, I have extensively revised my course “Institutions, Markets and Firms in China” (course code NEKN75) to highlight the role of social networks in China’s private firm economy. I am currently teaching this course for the first time as a MSc-level course at Lund University. Based on initial responses and feedback by students, I am confident that the novel content is highly appreciated as an innovative approach to a better understanding of firm strategies in China’s business environment. Formal teaching evaluations will not be available before the end of March.
Concluding remark
In summary, I am truly grateful to RJ for the opportunity provided. Being embedded in a different and highly challenging research environment, while being free of regular administrative duties and teaching obligations, is an ideal way to develop new ideas and competencies, which have contributed to a highly productive and rewarding year.
FINAL REPORT SAB18-0191:1 (01/2019 – 12/2019) SONJA OPPER
This is a summary report of my 12 months sabbatical visit at the University of Chicago. The primary goal was to study the link between social networks and entrepreneurship. Central questions I have targeted were: 1) How do entrepreneurs build social networks conducive to their business success? 2) To what extent are networks changing over the life-course of their business? 3) Which network resources are most crucial at different stages of the development? 4) How do behavioral patterns relate to the social structure around the entrepreneur?
Institutional affiliation:
I developed and maintained collaborations with researchers at Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. At the same time I was accepted as an international research associate at the Center of East Asian studies. This allowed me to maintain conversations and discussions with scholars of Chinese studies as much as with colleagues at the economics and management discipline. Given the interdisciplinary nature of research I perceived this as an important factor.
Research output:
As described in my proposal, I have chosen the University of Chicago to be able to collaborate closely with Professor Ronald Burt. The local proximity and high frequency of face-to-face meetings as well as the exposure to a competitive group of network scholars contributed to a steady stream of research output, and to the development of novel ideas and research questions explored during my sabbatical visit.
Productivity and delivery on a grant is probably most aptly measured by the work that was generated under the given period of time. I will therefore list below the work that was either revised and completed or newly created under the sabbatical period. I also list the current publication status.
Journal publications:
Burt, Ronald S. and Sonja Opper. 2020. “Political Connection and Disconnection: Still a Success Factor for Chinese Entrepreneurs.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, in print, published online first: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1042258719893110.
Burzynska, Katarzyna and Sonja Opper, Interbank Relations, Environmental Uncertainties and Corporate Credit Access in China, Management and Organization Review, conditionally accepted.
Opper, Sonja, and Ronald S. Burt. Network Closure and Temporal Myopia,
Academy of Management Journal, R&R, revision submitted.
Burt, Ronald S., Sonja Opper and Hakan J. Holm. Trust and Cooperation Beyond the Network. Organization Science, R&R, currently being revised.
Burt, Ronald S., and Sonja Opper. What is Guanxi, American Journal of Sociology, R&R, currently being revised.
Burt, Ronald S., Sonja Opper and Na Zou. Social Network and Family Business: Uncovering Hybrid Family Firms, submitted to Management Organization Review, currently under review.
Opper, Sonja and Na, Zou. Network Structure and Trust Penalty. Currently prepared for submission to Social Networks.
Chapter:
Opper, Sonja. 2020. “Economic Change from an Institutional Perspectives.”
Handbook of Economic Sociology. Springer Nature, in print.
Research presentations:
Culture and Chinese Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, April 6, 2019
Political connection and disconnection: Still a success factor for Chinese entrepreneurs (Keynote) 10th Anniversary Conference of IESSR, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, June 29, 2019
Social Networks, Strategy, and Time: The network-Time compression Hypothesis, Academy of Management Association Meeting 2019
Surviving bad business behavior: Network structure and trust penalty, Oxford Reputation Symposium, Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation – Said Business School, August 30, 2019.
Political Connection and Disconnection, Invited seminar, Naveen Jindal School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas, October 25, 2019.
Ongoing research collaboration
As a result of my visit Ronald Burt and I are drafting a new survey module to continue our work on entrepreneurial networks in China. We hope to bring this study to the field in the course of 2020. The exact timing depends critically on the further development of the Corona-virus. The original plan was to run a pilot in May 2020.
This is, however, highly unlikely at this moment.
Further we have agreed to collaborate on a monograph highlighting the role of social networks in China. The monograph will draw on jointly published journal articles and offer further elaboration building on cases and in-depth interview material.
The intended publisher is Oxford University Press.
Revision of teaching program
A secondary motivation for my sabbatical was to develop my knowledge on social network theory to eventually incorporate network theory and method into my ongoing teaching program.
To this end I have audited classes on Strategic Management that covered substantial portions of social network analysis (spring teaching by Ronald S. Burt). After completion of this course, I have extensively revised my course “Institutions, Markets and Firms in China” (course code NEKN75) to highlight the role of social networks in China’s private firm economy. I am currently teaching this course for the first time as a MSc-level course at Lund University. Based on initial responses and feedback by students, I am confident that the novel content is highly appreciated as an innovative approach to a better understanding of firm strategies in China’s business environment. Formal teaching evaluations will not be available before the end of March.
Concluding remark
In summary, I am truly grateful to RJ for the opportunity provided. Being embedded in a different and highly challenging research environment, while being free of regular administrative duties and teaching obligations, is an ideal way to develop new ideas and competencies, which have contributed to a highly productive and rewarding year.