Social Networks and Career Advancement
| Module title | Social Networks and Career Advancement |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEM3094 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Lei Liu (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Social networks are essential for understanding how individuals and organizations operate in today’s interconnected world. This module introduces you to the basics of social network theory and explores how social connections are formed, maintained, and leveraged within organizations. You will learn how social networks influence individual success, team dynamics, and organizational outcomes, with a focus on practical applications for building professional relationships and advancing your career. Through interactive discussions and analysis of key academic and real-world examples, this module will also help you develop critical thinking skills and apply a social network perspective to everyday challenges.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to equip you with a comprehensive understanding of social network theories and their relevance to career advancement and management in contemporary organizations. By engaging with classic and cutting-edge academic research in the social network field, this module fosters your critical thinking skills. Upon completion, you will be able to apply a social network perspective to analyse individual, team, and organizational processes and outcomes. Furthermore, you will gain practical insights into forming, maintaining, and leveraging social networks to enhance career progression and facilitate the achievement of personal and organizational goals.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe social network related knowledge and the method for social network analysis
- 2. Critically evaluate the social network literature
- 3. Apply social network related knowledge to practical problems in organisations
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Develop an understanding of organisational behaviours from a social network perspective
- 5. Develop an understanding of how to conduct social network research in organisations
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Provide advice to managers or interested people regarding social network analysis in organisations
- 7. Develop the skill of effectively communicating opinions in writing
Syllabus plan
Our lectures will cover the following major topic areas and their relevance to career advancement:
- Introduction of social network research
- Basic Concepts in social network research
- Overview of the key theories
- Whole networks, Ego networks, and cognitive social networks
- Brokerage
- Antecedents of social networks
- Social networks and individual outcomes
- Social networks and team outcomes
- Team and organisational level networks
- Social network research method
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 20 | Lectures (10 x 2 hours) |
| Guided Independent Study | 60 | Preparatory reading before taught sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Preparation of assignments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz | 10 min; twice | 1-6 | Verbal feedback will be provided in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual essay | 100 | 2500 words | 1-7 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual essay | Re-work and re-submit the individual essay (100%) | 1-7 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
The original assignment brief will be used for re-assessment.
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
No textbook covers all the topics discussed in this module. Interested students could consult the following:
Kilduff, M. & Tsai, W. (2003). Social Networks and Organizations, London: Sage.
Kilduff, M., Liu, L., & Tasselli, S. (2023). A connected world: social networks and organizations. Cambridge University Press.
Borgatti, S. P., Agneessens, F., Johnson, J. C., & Everett, M. G. (2024). Analyzing social networks. London: Sage.
The readings on the module are primarily taken from key academic journals, such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, Leadership Quarterly
Example classic articles include:
Brands, R. A. & Kilduff, M. (2014). Just like a woman? Effects of gender-biased perceptions of friendship network brokerage on attributions and performance. Organization Science, 25(5), 1530-1548.
Brass, D. J. (1984). Being in the right place: A structural analysis of individual influence in an organization. Administrative Science Quarterly, 29(4), 518-539.
Burt, R. S. (2004). Structural holes and good ideas. American Journal of Sociology, 110(2), 349-399.
Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360-1380.
Kilduff, M. (1992). The friendship network as a decision-making resource: Dispositional moderators of social influences on organizational choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(1), 168-180.
Kilduff, M. & Lee, J. W. (2020). The integration of people and networks. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7(1), 155-179.
Kilduff, M. & Krackhardt, D. (1994). Bringing the individual back in: A structural analysis of the internal market for reputation in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 37(1), 87-108.
Levin, D. Z., Walter, J. & Murnighan, J. K. (2011). Dormant ties: The value of reconnecting. Organization Science, 22(4), 923-939.
Mehra, A., Kilduff, M. & Brass, D. J. (2001). The social networks of high and low self-monitors: Implications for workplace performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(1), 121-146.
Obstfeld, D. (2005). Social networks, the tertius iungens orientation, and involvement in innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(1), 100-130.
Perry-Smith, J. E. & Shalley, C. E. (2003). The social side of creativity: A static and dynamic social network perspective. Academy of Management Review, 28(1), 89–106.
Podolny, J. M. & Baron, J. N. (1997). Resources and relationships: Social networks and mobility in the workplace. American Sociological Review, 62(5), 673-693.
Sparrowe, R. T. & Liden, R. C. (2005). Two routes to influence: Integrating leader-member exchange and network perspectives. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50(4), 505-535.
Tasselli, S. & Kilduff, M. (2018). When brokerage between friendship cliques endangers trust: a personality–network fit perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 61(3), 802-825.
Example recent research include:
Zagenczyk, T. J., Powell, E. E., & Scott, K. L. (2020). How exhausting!? Emotion crossover in organizational social networks. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1589-1609.
Brennecke, J. (2020). Dissonant ties in intraorganizational networks: Why individuals seek problem-solving assistance from difficult colleagues. Academy of Management Journal, 63(3), 743-778.
Agneessens, F. & Labianca, G. J. (2022). Collecting survey-based social network information in work organizations. Social Networks, 68, 31-47.
Brass, D. J. (2022). New developments in social network analysis. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 225-46.
Nicolaou, N., & Kilduff, M. (2023). Empowerment mitigates gender differences in tertius iungens brokering. Organization Science, 34(4), 1441-1457.
Lee, J. W., Quintane, E., Lee, S. Y., Ruiz, C. U., & Kilduff, M. (2024). The strain of spanning structural holes: How brokering leads to burnout and abusive behavior. Organization Science, 35(1), 177-194.
Kilduff, M., Wang, K., Lee, S. Y., Tsai, W., Chuang, Y. T., & Tsai, F. S. (2024). Hiding and seeking knowledge-providing ties from rivals: A strategic perspective on network perceptions. Academy of Management Journal, 67(5), 1207-1233.
Tasselli, S., Chen, H., & Dineen, B. R. (2025). Simmelian brokerage, tertius iungens orientation, and idea elaboration. Research Policy, 54(3), 105185.
Wang, S., Luan, K., & Qin, X. (2024). Empowering or burdening? The short?term benefits and costs of upward networking at work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(7), 981-1002.
Yan, T. T., Venkataramani, V., Tang, C., & Hirst, G. (2024). Navigating inter-team competition: How information broker teams achieve team innovation. Journal of Applied Psychology.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 11/12/2024 |
| Last revision date | 06/03/2025 |
