Networks, Work, and Inequality

by Steve McDonald

Overview

The importance of social relationships at work has long been recognized in the social sciences. Interest in this topic has been renewed through scholarly and popular discussions of social capital as well as recent innovations in network data collection and analysis. These developments have allowed researchers to ask a variety of new questions about the role of networks in the world of work and a multitude of approaches to answering those questions. While several monographs have been written on issues related to networks and work, none has simultaneously brought together the range of approaches used to explore this topic. Furthermore, this volume is the first to merge this focus on networks and work with a sociological perspective on inequality. Specifically, the chapters illuminate the processes by which social networks in work organizations can effectively generate, sustain and ameliorate social inequalities across individuals, firms, and occupational fields. In doing so, this volume offers valuable insights that inform researchers and policy makers alike regarding issues of workplace discrimination, diversity and innovation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781905395
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:	04/23/2013
Series:	Research in the Sociology of Work , #24
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.61(d)

Table of Contents

List of Contributors ix

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction xiii

Frontiers of Sociological Research on Networks, Work, and Inequality Steve McDonald S. Michael Gaddis Lindsey B. Trimble Lindsay Hamm 1

Part I Networks and Hiring

What Might a Labor Market Look Like? Donald Tomaskovic-Devey 45

Race, Network Hiring, and Statistical Discrimination Roberto M. Fernandez Jason Greenberg 81

Social Networks, Job Search, and Job Earnings in a Transitional Economy: An Institutional Embeddedness Argument Wei Zhao 103

Part II Networks and the Labor Process

Consent and the Subjective World of the Worker Marty Laubach Michael Wallace 135

The Network-Organized Labor Process: Control and Autonomy in Web Production Work Amanda K. Damarin 177

Employee Morale and Organizational Climate in Schools: The Importance of Affective Coworker Relationships Heather E. Price 207

Part III Networks and Work-Related Outcomes

Gender Inequality and the Structure of Occupational Identity: The Case of Elite Sociological Publication Ryan Light 239

Social Capital and Work Activity: Autonomy, Supervision, and Creativity in Interpersonal Networks Richard A. Benton 269

Structural Embeddedness of Accessed Networks and Innovation at Work Ray-May Hsung Yi-Jr Lin Ke-Wei Lu 295

Institutional Embeddedness of Network Embeddedness in the Workplace: Social Integration at Work and Employee's Health Across Three Societies Lijun Song 323

Part IV Networks and Institutional Dynamics

Forms of Social Capital: Family Resources, Campus Networks, and Dominant Class Advantage at an Elite University Nathan D. Martin 359

Jumping Ship or Merely Crossing the Aisle? An Analysis of the Circulation of Elite Lawyers Debra Schleef 387