Culture and Social Networks

Abstract

Abstract In this chapter, we will first introduce the importance of investigating the relationship between culture and social networks. In answering the question of why the social network approach should be adopted to understand the central role of culture in impacting employee work behaviors, we highlight two core characteristics of culture and social networks that connect them: the multilevel structures and the dynamic processes. We then derive an overarching theoretical framework to explain how culture and social networks at multiple levels are mutually constitutive and coevolving. On the basis of this theoretical framework, we review the literature on the effects of culture on social networks, the roles of social networks in relation to culture and the acculturation process, and discuss new theoretical and empirical directions for future research. We also summarize five key theoretical principles and five practical implications that we discovered in our review. Future research questions and directions are proposed at the end of the chapter.