eprintid: 10205655
rev_number: 10
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/20/56/55
datestamp: 2025-03-06 09:46:39
lastmod: 2025-03-06 09:48:14
status_changed: 2025-03-06 09:46:39
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Ling, Juan
creators_name: Brands, Raina
creators_name: Brass, Dan
creators_name: Liu, De
creators_name: Borgatti, Steve
creators_name: Mehra, Ajay
title: Gender, structural holes, and citations:
The effects of women’s increasing proportional representation in a field
ispublished: inpress
divisions: UCL
divisions: B04
divisions: F49
keywords: Gender, social networks, structural holes, citations, knowledge production
note: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
abstract: Large, sparsely connected social networks (i.e., networks rich in “structural holes”) are
advantageous because they provide an informational edge. However, some studies have
found that hole-rich networks can be a disadvantage for women. We examine the question:
Are the returns women derive from structural holes contingent on women’s changing
proportional representation in a field? Focusing on the context of knowledge production, with
citations as a key metric of success, we analyzed co-authorship and citation data from elite
management journals (1970-2006) using panel-data regression. Our findings reveal that the
number of structural holes in women’s collaboration networks positively correlates with
citations until women's proportion in the field reaches approximately 30 percent. Beyond this
tipping point, the relationship becomes negative and significant. This result remains robust
after controlling for variables such as previous citations (both the individual's and coauthors'), career stage, authorship order, gender homophily, and institutional status. Our study
suggests that understanding the interplay between gender, structural holes, and citations
requires a contextual perspective that considers the evolving circumstances women face as
their representation in a field grows.
date: 2025
date_type: published
publisher: SAGE Publications
official_url: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/gom
oa_status: green
full_text_type: other
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2366228
lyricists_name: Brands, Raina
lyricists_id: RABRA66
actors_name: Brands, Raina
actors_id: RABRA66
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Group and Organization Management
issn: 1059-6011
citation:        Ling, Juan;    Brands, Raina;    Brass, Dan;    Liu, De;    Borgatti, Steve;    Mehra, Ajay;      (2025)    Gender, structural holes, and citations: The effects of women’s increasing proportional representation in a field.                   Group and Organization Management           (In press).    Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10205655/1/Brands_GOM%20Final.pdf