factor is your "betweenness," which literally refers to how
much you are located between others in the network. The
more betweenness you have, the more you control the
distribution of information and other resources to people on
either side of you. In Exhibit 10.3, Person A has high
betweenness centrality because he or she is a gatekeeper who
controls the flow of information to and from many other
people in the network. Person G has less betweenness,
whereas Person F and several other network members in the
diagram have no betweenness.
Another factor in centrality is the number or percentage of
connections you have to others in the network (called "degree
centrality"). Recall that the more people connected to you,
the more resources (information, favors, etc.) will be
available. The number of connections also increases
centrality because you are more visible to other members of
the network. Although being a member of a network gives
you access to resources in that network, having a direct
connection to people makes that resource sharing more fluid.
Finally, centrality is a function of the "closeness" of the
relationship. High closeness occurs when a member has
shorter, more direct, and efficient paths or connections with
others in the network. For example, Person A has fairly high
closeness centrality because he or she has direct paths to
most of the network, and many of these paths are short
(implying efficient and high-quality communication links).
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Chapter Ten Power and Influence in the Workplace
Part Three
Team Processes
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Person A has high betweenness, closeness, and degree
(number) centralityEXHIBIT 10.3
Centrality in Social Networks
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Chapter Ten Power and Influence in the Workplace
Part Three
Team Processes
Person F has low betweenness, closeness, and degree
(number) centrality
301
Chapter Ten Power and Influence in the Workplace
Part Three
Team Processes
One last observation is that Exhibit 10.3 illustrates two
clusters of people in the network. The gap between these two
clusters is called a structural hole.52 Notice that Person A
provides the main bridge across this structural hole
(connecting to H and K in the other cluster). This bridging
role gives Person A additional power in the network. By
bridging this gap, Person A becomes a broker—someone who
connects two independent networks and controls information
flow between them. Research shows that the more brokering
relationships you have, the more likely you are to get early
promotions and higher pay.
The Dark Side of Social Networks Social networks are
natural elements of all organizations, yet they can create a
formidable barrier to those who are not actively connected to
it.53 Women are often excluded from informal management
networks because they do not participate in golf games and
other male-dominated social events. Nina Smith, who leads
Sage Software's Business Management Division, has had
several conversations with female executives about these
power dynamics. "I'm still trying to knock down the Boys
