Creative Interaction and Multiplexity in Intraorganizational Networks

Abstract

In line with the emphasis on the social and collaborative aspects of creativity, this study examined the local structural patterns of embeddedness between creative interaction ties and three different types of existing relations among employees. Results based on sociometric network data from an advertising agency revealed that significant multiplexity exists, with advice ties being the most strongly associated with creative interaction, followed by knowledge ties and friendship ties. Furthermore, the structure of multiplexity shows that employees were likely to have reciprocal ties across multiple relations, to seek multiple types of resources from a single source, and to form embedded ties within the same work unit. Implications for the theory of embeddedness and practical implications for promoting organizational creativity are discussed.