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From Potential to Realization:From Potential to Realization:

The Mobilization of Social Capital by Chinese Job Seekers

Yanjie Bian, University of Minnesota

Xianbi Huang, University of Queensland

International Conference on Social Capital, May 28-30 2008

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Theoretical Perspectives on Social Capital

Network membership as social capital: Putnam, Portes

Network structure as social capital: Coleman, Burt

Network resources as social capital: Lin, Erickson

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Lin’s Theory on 2-Stage Process of Social Capital Mobilization

Initial position

Network resources

Action

Extensity of ties

Access Mobilization

Contacts(Tie strength)

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Mobilizing Social CapitalJohnson, LuAnne R. and David Knoke. 2005. “‘Skonk Works Here’: Activating Network Social Capital in Complex Collaborations.” Advances in Interdisciplinary Studies of Work Teams 10:243-262.

ji

J

jji pRSC

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SCi = ego i’s social capital

from the J alters in its ego-network

pji = ego’s perceived

probability of access to use alter j’s resources

Rj = total resources

controlled by alter j that could be useful to ego i

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Analytical Framework

Social CapitalPotential

Social CapitalRealization

Network sizeNetwork densityNetwork resources

Use of contactContact statusContact help

Agency

?

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The Agency of Social Relations

Social capital as unintended consequences (Arrow)

Social capital from more or less a deliberate process (Granovetter, Lin, Burt)

Social Capital in Chinese Guanxi culture Cultivation: Fei’s “differentiated configuration” Maintenance: Bian’s “social eating” Adjustment: Everyday’s observation

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Chinese Job Seekers as SR Agents

Search as a deliberate process Who: targeted persons of information & influence How: ties to connect & strategies to secure help What: information & more concrete favor

Job seekers as agents Interests: strong vs. weak Values: relationalist vs. individualist Agency variations: urgency and efforts

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Analytic Strategy & Research Hypotheses

Two groups of job seekers

Hypotheses H1: Job holders tend to have higher potential social capital than

do laid-off workers H2: Laid-off workers tend to have higher mobilized social capital H3: The higher mobilized social capital, the better job search

outcome

Position SC potential SC mobilization

On-the-job seekers Yes Higher Lower urgency

Off-the-job seekers No Lower Higher urgency

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Research Design

Two groups of job seekers 1999 5-city household sample: about 4,752 workers from

a general population sample: Probability sampling of residents Job seeking process to the last job

2000 Wuhan city laid-off worker sample: 621 laid-off workers Cluster sampling of SOE workers Job seeking process after being laid off

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General Population

Sample

Laid-off Work Sample

t-test

Mean/Percent

S.D. Mean/Percent

S.D.

Network size 27.87 39.15 20.71 24.34 >***

Network density .51 .26 .50 .27 -

Network resources 31.14 22.88 23.58 17.42 >***

Number of cases 4752 621

*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

Table 1. Potential social capital

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General Population Sample

Laid-off WorkerSample

t-test

Mean/Percent S.D. Mean/Percent S.D.

Use of contact .58 .49 .78 .42 <***

Number of contacts used .92 2.86 1.53 3.10 <***

Use of strong ties .35 .48 .51 .50 <***

Information obtained .32 .47 .45 .50 <***

Favor obtained .39 .49 .49 .50 <***

Contact status

Administrator .26 .44 .30 .44 -

In high work-unit rank .30 .46 .29 .46 -

Professional/manager .22 .41 .14 .35 >***

Number of cases 4752 621

Table 2. Mobilized social capital

*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

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Table 3. Social capital effects

Favor obtained Job match

GW LW GW LW

Network size -.002*(.998)

-.001(.999)

-.001(.999)

-.001(.999)

Network density -.487***(.614)

-.635!(.530)

-.215(.807)

-.112(.894)

Network resources .013***(1.014)

.013*(1.013)

.008***(1.008)

.006(1.006)

Favor - - .318***(1.375)

.732***(2.079)

Control variables (not presented)

Constant .337(1.400)

-2.304(.100)

-.2.388***(.097)

1.162(3.197)

R square .070 .041 .105 .100

Number of cases 4385 621 4385 621

!p<.10, *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001

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Conclusions

Social capital mobilization is a deliberate process in which the agency of social relations is highly relevant

The agency is reflected in the variation of urgency between an on-the-job seeker and an off-the-job seeker

Urgency variation makes a difference in the amount of mobilized social capital

Social capital has a higher lifting effect for laid-off workers on job matching

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Q & AQ & A

Thank you!Thank you!