A Core/Periphery Perspective on Individual Creative Performance: Social Networks and Cinematic Achievements in the Hollywood Film Industry

Gino Cattani () and Simone Ferriani ()
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Gino Cattani: Department of Management and Organizations, Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, New York 10012
Simone Ferriani: Dipartimento di Scienze Aziendali, Universita' di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

Organization Science, 2008, vol. 19, issue 6, 824-844

Abstract: The paper advances a relational perspective to studying creativity at the individual level. Building on social network theory and techniques, we examine the role of social networks in shaping individuals' ability to generate a creative outcome. More specifically, we argue that individuals who occupy an intermediate position between the core and the periphery of their social system are in a favorable position to achieve creative results. In addition, the benefits accrued through an individual's intermediate core/periphery position can also be observed at the team level, when the same individual works in a team whose members come from both ends of the core/periphery continuum. We situate the analysis and test our hypotheses within the context of the Hollywood motion picture industry, which we trace over the period 1992--2003. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

Keywords: creative performance; social networks; core/periphery; film industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (139)

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