Wang, Kun; (2025) Flexibility in Social Network Brokering. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

In organizations, individual success often hinges on the ability to leverage diverse network styles. While prior research demonstrates the benefits of cultivating both closed, cohesive networks and open, sparse networks dynamically, many people tend to build their networks in a fixed manner regardless of changing circumstances. I address this puzzle by introducing the construct of brokering flexibility that reflects individuals’ ability to reconcile their inherent networking orientation — whether toward bringing people together (joining brokering) or maintaining separation among them (separation brokering) — with the dynamic demands of the organizational environment. Taking a person–situation fit perspective, I theorize that individuals with higher brokering flexibility are better able to overcome the inertia of their default orientations and recalibrate their behaviors to meet varying task-related and interpersonal demands, thereby achieving enhanced performance. Employing a multimethod approach that integrates archival email data, scale development, and a field survey, my findings support the theory that individuals who flexibly adjust their brokering behaviors in alignment with contextual cues enjoy superior performance evaluations. My results enrich social network theory by highlighting brokering flexibility as a dynamic relational capability that shapes performance beyond network positions and networking orientations.

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