The structure of content in multiplex ties: exploring the advantages for rural entrepreneurs

Abstract

The results of the studies on the influence of network structure of entrepreneurs on the performance of their firms have been inconclusive. This could be due to the fact that in all these studies, networks have been taken to be uniplex in nature -- a conduit for single type of content or it could be due to the belief that network structures, analyzed independently of what goes through them, can influence entrepreneurial and managerial outcomes. That some ties are multiplex in nature is known but little work has been done to explore the interaction between network structures and content in the management literature and none in an entrepreneurial setting. In this study we explore how the structure of the content of ties plays a role in entrepreneurial performance. By doing so, we extend the literature in three specific ways – first by focusing, on the structure of various multiplex ties, we attempt to reconcile the conflicting findings on the beneficial or detrimental effects of structural holes on performance. Second, we take this opportunity to understand how content of ties influences entrepreneurial outcomes - a gap that recent scholars have appealed future researchers to address (Jack, 2009; O’Donnell et al. 2001; Uzzi and Lancaster, 2003). Finally this study extends the predominantly western and high technology oriented literature into a low technological domain in an emerging economy.