Social Networks and Brokerage
Social networks are an important theme in the literature on entrepreneurial crisis response because networks can catalyze compassion and shape resourcing approaches across groups (Williams & Shepherd, 2018; Worline & Dutton, 2017). As network structures emerge, connections develop between different actors and nodes (Burt, 1999). The form of emergent structures depends upon the degree to which nodes connect as clusters of densely connected individuals (H. E. Aldrich & Kim, 2007) as well as the extent to which connections exist across classes of nodes, such as individuals, organizations, and ecosystems (Casciaro, 2020).
Network brokerage refers to the activity of actors occupying positions uniquely enabling exchange or interaction between otherwise disconnected actors in social structures within or between organizations (Kwon et al., 2020; Williams & Shepherd, 2021). Brokers act as entrepreneurs to leverage their boundary spanning position for competitive advantage (Burt, 2005), and sometimes also for the public good (Clement et al., 2018). Trust and cooperation moderate the relationship between network brokerage and access to and control of resources and information (Kwon et al., 2020). Because brokers span structural holes in the network, they possess greater social capital and can exert entrepreneurial control over information (Burt, 1999). Patterns of network interactions evolve over time (Casciaro, 2020) as new ties form (H. E. Aldrich & Kim, 2007), inter-organizational relations change (H. E. Aldrich & Whetten, 1981), and brokerage dynamics persist or decay (Kwon et al., 2020). For entrepreneurial actors, the dynamic nature of networks and network interactions creates opportunities for adapting to evolving resource requirements (Sullivan & Ford, 2014).