The embedding forces of network commitment: An examination of the psychological processes linking advice centrality and susceptibility to social influence

Patrick F. Bruning, Bradley J. Alge and Hsin-Chen Lin

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2018, vol. 148, issue C, 54-69

Abstract: We draw on concepts of embeddedness and commitment to explain people's susceptibility to social influence from their personal network. Using two samples and multiple methods (experimental manipulation, social network inventories, and surveys) we assess whether embeddedness in one's social network (i.e., advice centrality) affects susceptibility to social influence, via commitment to one's personal network. We extend concepts of affective, normative, and instrumental commitment to an individual’s personal network for this purpose. In Study 1, we experimentally manipulate normative social information and find that central members are more likely to conform to social influence, according to mechanisms of psychological affective and instrumental network commitment. Study 2 tests the robustness of our generalized predictions by considering how advice centrality relates to one’s aggregate dyadic network commitments and perceived social influence. Study 2 results indicate that advice centrality positively relates to perceived social influence through relational affective, normative, and instrumental network commitment.

Keywords: Advice centrality; Commitment; Embeddedness; Social influence; Social networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597816302151
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:148:y:2018:i:c:p:54-69

DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.07.002

Access Statistics for this article

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes is currently edited by John M. Schaubroeck

More articles in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().