This document summarizes a meeting on weak ties and innovation. It discusses how weak ties can provide non-redundant knowledge through knowledge recombination. Maintaining and strengthening relationships with weak ties can facilitate innovation. Behavioral dimensions of trust were presented as a framework for understanding how trust is built in relationships. Organizational design can impact employees' ability to build trust. The role of weak ties in new product development phases was discussed. Differences in how scientists and business people may leverage networks and focus on trust building was noted as an area for further exploration.

1. Co-Chairs: Natalie Schoch Kellogg Company
Leonard Huskey US Army Research Laboratory (retired)
SMEs: Robert McNamee Fox School of Business,
Temple University
Andrew Maxwell Lassonde School of Engineering,
York University
Weak Ties & Innovation
Research-on-Research Report Out
Member Summit 2015

2. Weak Ties and Innovation…
Why this topic?
Culture
E2.0 Technology
Collaboration
Productivity
CultureCultureCulture Innovation
What is impact of weak ties?

3. 1st Session – Dr. Jorge Walter, GWU
• “The Power of Reconnecting: How Dormant Ties
Can Surprise You”, MIT Sloan Management Review
• “Competent Jerks & Lovable Fools”, HBR
• Breakout session insights
– Weak ties may be most useful in early R&D
– Engineers not social – must have pressing need
– Culture trumps structures/process
– Dormant ties bring a level of implicit trust
IRI-ROR Visiting SME

4. • “Who Can You Trust?” Andrew Maxwell TEDx
– Trust is the relationship lubricant
– Four behavior aspects of trust in relationships
• Trust Dimension Matrix
• Trust evaluation capability
• My takeaways…
– Organizations don’t have behaviors, people do
– Trust can be “managed”
– Can repair damaged trust, can’t w/ violated trust
IRI-ROR Co-SME

5. Knowledge-Based View of Firms
Firms EXIST largely because they
can facilitate the creation and
application of knowledge

6. Knowledge Recombination
…is the core production function for…
1. New Knowledge &
2. New Ideas
Knowledge exchange / transfer is
important because knowledge is
[usually] distributed…

7. Non-Redundant Knowledge
is Critical!
Similar people or those that interact
frequently have similar knowledge
Similar Knowledge  Groupthink
Different Knowledge  Creativity

8. Knowledge Networks are
Social Networks

9. Product Line #1
Product Line #2
Research
…and social networks are
often sub-optimized for
various reasons

10. Strong Ties
People you interact
with frequently
Weak Ties
People you don’t interact with frequently,
have lost touch with, met at events, know by
referrals, or know via shared memberships
How do we maintain & strengthen
relationships w/ weak ties?
How do we build awareness
of useful potential ties?
How do we become aware of
opportunities w/ weak ties?
How frequently are people
making new connections?
Potential Ties
Those you have not yet
interacted with that may
have valuable knowledge
Network Ties
& Tie Strength

11. Trusted Weak Ties
…the best of both worlds?
• Trusted Weak Ties are very efficient and high impact
– Infrequent Interactions  Non-Redundant Knowledge
– Relationship Quality & Trust  Engagement
• Example of Trusted Weak Ties = Dormant Ties
Non-Redundant
Knowledge & Novel
Perspectives
Engagement
& Shared
Understanding

12. Hybrid Solutions
• Hybrid solutions create high levels of engagement +
diversity of perspectives / non-redundant knowledge
• Aggregate diverse ties among group members
– Some strongly tied, some weakly tied boundary spanners
• Create more trusted weak ties
– Use Trust Proxies (reputation systems, emphasize shared
affiliations, referrals, organization identification, reciprocity
norms, risk tolerant culture, etc…)
– Team Building, Knowledge Exchange, and Innovation Events
– Reduce barriers to interact w/ potential & weak ties
– Develop Employees (e.g., Reform the Jerks)

13. • “a willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of
another party, without any direct means of controlling
their behaviors”
• Contrasted with contracts (controls) that specify:
– Outcome expectations and what each party will do
– How performance measured, and consequences
• Trust…
– Facilitates managing incomplete contracts
– Reduces transaction costs
– Encourages multiple simultaneous relationships
– Accelerates knowledge exchange and actions
Trust

14. • Trust develops over time and evolves from trust proxies
/ substitutes to observed / experienced behaviors
We’re all relationship trust auditors
Initial trust level based on
trust proxies / substitutes
(i.e. background, affiliations,
references, etc…)
Subsequently trust levels
based on behaviors
observed / experienced
over the course of a
relationship
Individuals ‘audit’ manifestations of trust
behaviors that build, damage or violate trust

15. Gottman’s “Love Lab”
Using behavioral observations he was
able to predict with 94% accuracy
whether a married couple would
divorce based on observed behaviors

16. Behavioral Trust has been applied
to understand investor pitches
This ROR was the first time this
approach has been applied to
appreciate weak ties / social networks

17. Behavioral manifestations that
build trust (& Diagnostic Tools)
Dimensions
Trustworthy
Consistency Displays of behavior that confirm previous promises
Benevolence Exhibits concern about well-being of others
Alignment Actions confirms shared values and/or objectives
Dimensions
Trustworthy
Consistency Displays of behavior that confirm previous promises
Benevolence Exhibits concern about well-being of others
Alignment Actions confirms shared values and/or objectives
Capability
Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability
Experience Demonstrates relevant work/training experience
Judgment Confirms ability to make accurate and objective decisions
Dimensions
Trustworthy
Consistency Displays of behavior that confirm previous promises
Benevolence Exhibits concern about well-being of others
Alignment Actions confirms shared values and/or objectives
Capability
Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability
Experience Demonstrates relevant work/training experience
Judgment Confirms ability to make accurate and objective decisions
Trusting
Disclosure Shows vulnerability by sharing confidential information
Reliance Willingness to be vulnerable through task delegation
Receptiveness Demonstrates ‘coachability’ and willingness to change
Dimensions
Trustworthy
Consistency Displays of behavior that confirm previous promises
Benevolence Exhibits concern about well-being of others
Alignment Actions confirms shared values and/or objectives
Capability
Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability
Experience Demonstrates relevant work/training experience
Judgment Confirms ability to make accurate and objective decisions
Trusting
Disclosure Shows vulnerability by sharing confidential information
Reliance Willingness to be vulnerable through task delegation
Receptiveness Demonstrates ‘coachability’ and willingness to change
Communication
Accuracy Provides truthful and timely information
Explanation Explains details & consequence of information provided
Openness Open to new ideas or new ways of doing things

18. • This perspective provides advantages because it…
– Highlights specific ways trust can be damaged in
existing relationships (& how to facilitate its repair)
– Sheds light on reluctance to approach weak or
potential ties (and shows how to overcome this)
– Showcases specific concrete ways to create quick
trust with new interaction partners
– Connects organization design to interpersonal trust
Behavioral Trust

19. Organizational
Design
Collaboration
& Collaborative
Relationships
Trust Building
& Damaging
Behaviors
Virtuous vs. Vicious Cycles
Organizational design
can unintentionally
reduce the ability for
employees to build
trust with one
another

20. New Product Development
& Weak Ties
• Past work highlights role of weak vs. strong ties in NPD
– Fuzzy front end / exploration (78% weak ties)
– Commercialization / exploitation (73% strong ties)
• Divergence vs. Convergence
– Although NPD moves towards convergence, there is a need for
new knowledge or ideas to overcome challenges throughout
• Information vs. ‘Getting Things Done’
– Early in NPD Process: Information & Ideas Needed
– Later in NPD Process: Assistance ‘getting things done’
– Unclear balance of strong vs. weak ties at each phase

21. Vocational / Functional
Differences
• We know personality matters
– Example: openness to experience is necessary to benefit
from networks of weak, bridging ties
• We know personality varies across vocations
– Example: Scientists are higher in openness to experience
while business people are more extroverted
• We don’t know if…
– Scientists leverage weak ties (or networks more generally)
differently than business people
– Scientists focus on different types of trust building behavior

22. Conclusions &
Reflections

23. …for keeping our ROR projects on
track for the last 8+ years
Thanks Len!!!