Opening new brokerage opportunities while closing existing ones: The Tertius Iungens orientation as a source of network advantage

• Published in: Journal of organizational behavior 2024-01, Vol.45 (1), p.21-38
• Main Authors: Kauppila, Olli‐Pekka, Bizzi, Lorenzo, Obstfeld, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brokerage; brokering behavior; Connectedness; network advantage; network building; Organizational behavior; organizational paradox; organizing behavior; Panel data; Social networks; Social relations; Social structure; tertius iungens orientation
• ISSN: 0894-3796; 1099-1379
• DOI: 10.1002/job.2753

Summary Organizational members face a motivational dilemma in influencing the social relationships of others: The organization benefits from high connectedness among employees, but personal advantages accrue to those who occupy brokerage positions between disconnected others. In this study, we draw on the organizational paradox perspective to argue that the reconciliation of these contrasting objectives lies in recognizing one's agency to facilitate connectedness (closing) within a social structure and the search for new connections (opening) as mutually supportive. Across two field studies, we examine how individuals' advantageous position in an organizational network emerges from the interplay between a tertius iungens orientation to join others in collaboration and network building to open new brokering opportunities. In Study 1, analyses of a sample of two‐wave, cross‐lagged panel data show that a tertius iungens orientation contributes to the number of outgoing ties to other actors via network building. Study 2 uses a network survey to add that a tertius iungens orientation is positively associated with incoming ties from others and network brokerage, and again, these relationships are mediated by network building. Overall, our results indicate that by increasing connectedness in their organizational social network, individuals simultaneously activate opening behaviors that facilitate the expansion of their network, thereby revitalizing their structurally advantageous position.