Bringing Strong Ties Back in: Indirect Ties, Network Bridges, and Job Searches in China

Abstract

M. Granovetter's strength-of-weak-ties argument has led to fruitful research on how individuals are matched to jobs in market economies. In analyzing the institution for assigning jobs in China, the author makes distinctions (1) between information and influence that flow through networks during job searches and (2) between direct ties and indirect ties used by job-seekers. He finds that in China personal networks are used to influence authorities who in turn assign jobs as favors to their contacts, which is a type of unauthorized activity facilitated by strong ties characterized by trust and obligation. In a 1988 survey in Tianjin, he finds that (1) jobs are acquired through strong ties more frequently than through weak ties, (2) both direct and indirect ties are used to obtain help from job-assigning authorities, (3) job-seekers and their ultimate helpers are indirectly connected through intermediaries to whom both are strongly tied, and (4) job-seekers using indirect ties are more likely to obtain better jobs than those using direct ties