Abstract
This chapter presents research findings from in-depth interview data in the form of narrative analysis, illustrative quotations, undirected triadic network graphs and signed status graphs. The data demonstrates that technical-professional entrepreneurial newcomers depend on direct interaction with bridging ties to overcome the liabilities of newness and lack of resources. This is because bridging ties reflect high worth and status cues such as esteemed reputation, authority, titles, expertise, experience and resource ownership. In addition, the data shows that bridging ties are ideal brokers and span structural holes, because of their reputation advantages and social standing. Structural holes and brokerage are a more complex and divergent bridging behaviour that gives rise to power benefits for the broker. Furthermore, the data demonstrates that influential and powerful bridges can coerce and constrain.
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Lee, R. (2017). Entrepreneurial Newcomers: Bridging Structures and Issues of Status and Power. In: The Social Capital of Entrepreneurial Newcomers. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59820-2_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59820-2_5
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