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Social network governance and social sustainability-related knowledge acquisition: the contingent role of network structure

Syeda Ayesha Wadood (Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan)
Kamran Ali Chatha (College of Business, Abu Dhabi University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates)
Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq Jajja (Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan)
Mark Pagell (School of Business, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland)

International Journal of Operations & Production Management

ISSN: 0144-3577

Article publication date: 11 April 2022

Issue publication date: 11 May 2022

848

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand how firms in developing economies acquire knowledge about social sustainability by leveraging the social capital embedded in firms' social network, through optimally governing relationships with network members. The study proposes that relational and contractual governance mechanisms interact with various structural facets of the network, resulting in varying degrees of social sustainability related knowledge acquisition.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data collected with a multiple respondent survey design from 204 manufacturing firms located in major industrial cities in Pakistan were used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) followed by hierarchical regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study finds that both relational and contractual governance mechanisms are positively related to a firm’s social sustainability-related knowledge acquisition, but their effectiveness is impacted by the structural facets of the network. Network size positively moderates the relationship between relational governance and social sustainability related knowledge acquisition, whereas both network range and strength of ties negatively moderate the relationship between contractual governance and social sustainability related knowledge acquisition.

Practical implications

Practitioners with resource-constrained firms should interact with their social network to leverage the knowledge and resources embedded within. The findings prescribe optimal governance strategies for different combinations of network structure variables to gain maximum knowledge about social sustainability.

Originality/value

The literature lacks information on the effect of network structure on the relationships between social network governance and social sustainability-related knowledge acquisition for resource-constrained firms in the developing economy context, making this study’s contributions unique.

Keywords

Citation

Wadood, S.A., Chatha, K.A., Jajja, M.S.S. and Pagell, M. (2022), "Social network governance and social sustainability-related knowledge acquisition: the contingent role of network structure", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 42 No. 6, pp. 745-772. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-08-2021-0543

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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