Research areas pioneered by “The strength of weak ties”

Abstract

Mark S. Granovetter's "The strength of weak ties," known for its paradox that "weak ties have more social functions than strong ties," has contributed to academic progress in various fields. This is truly an epoch-making paper.

His key findings in this paper can be summarized as follows. First, as a premise of the proposition, Granovetter proposed a viewpoint that focuses on the strength of the relationship (dyadic ties) between two parties. Next, the function of transitivity caused by strong ties is discussed. And it is also emphasized that the process of interpersonal networks should be analyzed as a bridge between micro- and macro-level social theories. In this essay, I will discuss the importance of this paper mainly from the viewpoint of innovation management, focusing on these three points.