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The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the relationships formed between the universal network quality perceptions and the dyadic network quality perceptions that an individual formulate through social ties at work and their effect on behavioral reaction toward organizational change.

The data were collected from 91 full-time hotel employees through a self-report survey. Using regression models and mediation method three hypotheses referring to the relationship between the universal and the dyadic perceptions as well as the indirect effect of the dyadic network perception on behavioral reactions to change, through universal network perceptions, are tested.

The results show that universal network perception has a positive association with an individual’s behavior toward change, while the authors’ dyadic network perception hypothesis is not supported. Additional results highlight the indirect effect of dyadic network perception on behavioral reactions to change through universal network perceptions.

Owing to the nature of the study, the inferences of causality might not be that strong as the authors’ findings are limited to the fact that the outcome variable is the behavioral intention toward a hypothetical organizational change rather than an actual change.

Although both types of perceptions are needed in affecting behavioral intentions, the universal network perceptions are the ones that need to be considered as indicators of the need for proactive non-conventional management planning with regard to the human element of change management.

The principal contribution of this study is that it brings greater clarity to how tie quality perceptions are constructed and their impact on employees’ behavior toward organizational change.

This paper aims to examine the idea that an individual’s attitudes and beliefs toward change depend on the quality of the dyadic relationships formed through his/her ego network. Specifically, the focus of the research question is to test if an individual with high quality dyadic ties to others who have a favorable outlook on change will also have a favorable outlook on change.

The research sample consisted of 100 full-time hotel employees working in six city hotels located in Thessaloniki, Greece. To test the research question, three approaches were used including: a descriptive social network analysis (SNA), multiple regression and homophily testing based on Moran and Geary autocorrelations.

Even though the SNA provided some valuable findings on the way structures and tie quality connected the participants, the results from the regression analysis and homophily testing indicated a lack of a positive relationship linking dyadic ties and behavioral intention toward change suggesting that dyadic ties do not influence behavioral intentions in a way that can be considered favorable to change.

Managers need to be aware that employees’ network relationship quality at the dyadic level is insufficient to create a supportive environment toward change. Therefore, dyadic ties significant contribution through SNA is the identification of power centers, influential people, interdepartmental links and interdependencies necessary to disseminate the change message and build sustainable momentum.

The limited number of prior empirical studies have thus far approached relationship quality as a concept composed of either emotional, psychological or technical features. This study differs by adopting the dimensions of tangibles, empathy, responsiveness, reliability and assurance existing in the TERRA model and by determining whether the dyadic tie quality positively impacts individual behavior toward change through the employment of a tripartite examination to strengthen the validation of similarities or differences in the results.

We propose an integrative model of how leaders (individual level) effectively relate to their social networks as a whole (network level). Additionally, we focus both on the leader constructs and the followers shared constructs about those networks.

Our conceptual paper uses the integration of literature from two main bodies of knowledge: individual and shared cognitions, fundamentally from psychology, and a structural perspective, mainly from sociology, organisational studies and social network analysis. We take a psycho-structural approach which allows the emergence of new perspectives on the study of leadership and more specifically on the study of relational leadership.

We propose a leader-network exchange (LNX) theory focussed on the behaviours and cognitions of leaders and followers as well as the relations between them.

Our model represents a new perspective on leader–followers relationship by stressing the importance of both followers and leaders' cognitions. We highlight the importance of the relationships between followers on the creation of shared meaning about the leader.

Our model helps leaders and managers make sense of the cognitions and behaviours of their teams. By considering the teams characteristics, i.e. cognitions and network structure, it allows leaders to adopt the most appropriate behaviours for effective leadership. Leadership and management development programmes designed around our model will enhance the use of networking skills.

Contrary to the traditional view of LMX, our approach considers the social context of leaders and followers. It also adds a new layer of knowledge going beyond what members think of their leaders by considering the social networks of leaders and followers.

This paper aims to examine empirically, within the context of the public sector, in what way the overall quality perception of an individual’s network relationships at work affect the psychological condition known as change readiness. Moreover, the research examines whether tacit knowledge and organizational climate can have indirect effects on the relationship between universal network quality perception and change readiness.

The data were collected through a self-reported survey from 105 individuals employed on a full-time basis by the government sector in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Using regression and mediation analysis, three hypotheses are tested relating to the direct effect of universal network quality perception and change readiness, accompanied by the indirect effects of tacit knowledge and organizational climate on the preceding relationship.

The results emanated from statistical analysis show that universal network quality perception has a positive association with change readiness, and tacit knowledge and organizational climate mediate significantly the relationship between the universal network quality perception and change readiness.

Considering the nature of the study, conclusions with regard to causality might not be that strong as the findings relevant to the dependent variable represented by change readiness are not based on longitudinal research and the sample comprises only local people with similar cultural background. Therefore, study conclusions may not be suitable for generalization.

The mediating effects highlight the consideration of tacit knowledge and organizational climate as influential organizational mechanisms within the framework of a proactive change management practice due to their positive impact on the psychological uncertainty and lack of job content competencies that a change initiative might cause to employees and their behavioral reactions.

The paper reveals the role of universal network quality perception as a conduit of positive social influence on change readiness. This role becomes significantly elastic when tacit knowledge and organizational climate become notable links of relationship quality because of their ability to trigger favorable psychosocial behavioral patterns toward organizational change. Furthermore, this study expands the literature on organizational change readiness factors in the UAE, for which few studies currently exist.

Dyadic multi-dimensionality informs the variation that exists within and between network ties and suggests that ties are not all the same and not all equally strategic. This chapter presents a model of dyadic evolution grounded in dyadic multi-dimensionality and framed within actor-level, dyadic-level, endogenous, and exogenous contexts. These contexts generate both strategic catalysts that motivate network action and bounded agency that may constrain such network action. Assuming the need to navigate within bounded agency, the model highlights three strategic processes that demonstrate how dyadic multi-dimensionality underlies the evolution of strategic network ties.

This study provides a comprehensive framework of adaptation in triadic business relationship settings in the service sector. The framework is based on the industrial network approach (see, e.g., Axelsson & Easton, 1992; Håkansson & Snehota, 1995a). The study describes how adaptations initiate, how they progress, and what the outcomes of these adaptations are. Furthermore, the framework takes into account how adaptations spread in triadic relationship settings. The empirical context is corporate travel management, which is a chain of activities where an industrial enterprise, and its preferred travel agency and service supplier partners combine their resources. The scientific philosophy, on which the knowledge creation is based, is realist ontology. Epistemologically, the study relies on constructionist processes and interpretation. Case studies with in-depth interviews are the main source of data.

Argues that the unidirectional measurement and evaluation of the trust in a specific business relationship is not enough to understand the trust between two actors in a dyadic business relationship. Furthermore, mutual trust may not always be sufficient to understand the trust in a specific dyadic business relationship. The incorporation of a third actor may improve the understanding of trust in dyadic business relationships. Therefore, a method is applied to analyze the dynamics of trust in triadic business networks.

The purpose of this paper is to adopt the recipient’s perspective to explore multi-level antecedents’ effects on knowledge transfer using social capital and social network theories.

Social network and general attribute survey responses from 331 employees were analyzed through hierarchical linear modeling to verify the study’s multi-level research model and hypotheses.

A recipient’s trust in colleagues positively influences knowledge transfer and company tenure has a negative impact. At a dyadic level, the perceived expertise of a source, in addition to strength of ties, exerts a positive effect on knowledge transfer. Additionally, a recipient’s network centrality moderates the effects of dyadic relationships on knowledge transfer.

This study deepened the current understanding of the role of social capital in knowledge transfer from a recipient’s perspective. Three dimensions of a recipient’s social capital respectively showed significant, but different types of influence on knowledge transfer. Interaction effects between individual and dyadic level antecedents should be considered as well.

Both a strong tie at a dyadic level and a diverse network at an individual level should be nurtured to facilitate knowledge transfer. In addition, bi-directional knowledge transfer between seasoned employees and new employees should be promoted.

Most studies have focused on motivating a knowledge source, assuming that a recipient is always ready to adopt a source’s knowledge. To reduce this bias, the current study examined social capital’s role in knowledge transfer from a recipient’s perspective.

For many of the current leadership theories, models, and approaches, the answer to the question posed in the title, “Is leadership more than ‘I like my boss’?,” is “no,” as there appears to be a hierarchy of leadership concepts with Liking of the leader as the primary dimension or general factor foundation. There are then secondary dimensions or specific sub-factors of liking of Relationship Leadership and Task Leadership; and subsequently, tertiary dimensions or actual sub-sub-factors that comprise the numerous leadership views as well as their operationalizations (e.g., via surveys). There are, however, some leadership views that go beyond simply liking of the leader and liking of relationship leadership and task leadership. For these, which involve explicit levels of analysis formulations, often beyond the leader, or are multi-level in nature, the answer to the title question is “yes.” We clarify and discuss these various “no” and “yes” leadership views and implications of our work for future research and personnel and human resources management practice.