Social network and social capital in leadership and management research: A review of causal methods

This paper surveys the methods underlying the burgeoning body of leadership and management research on social networks and social capital (SNSC). A social network is a social structure made up of nodes connected by a set of ties. Social capital, in turn, refers to the structure, content, and perception of one's social relationships in the network. This paper presents an in-depth survey of the methods of using SNSC in leadership and management research. I first review how network scholars determine network boundaries, choose sampling techniques, and collect network data. I follow with a comprehensive survey of the statistical tools and analytical strategies prevalent in SNSC research. I then investigate the methodological rigor of 110 SNSC empirical studies in leadership and other management fields. My results show that 8.1% (3/37) specified network boundaries, 43.2% (49/103) used surveys to collect network data, and 52.3% (58/110) implemented at least one reviewed method. A further assessment reveals that only 39.7% (23/58) of papers somewhat justified the appropriateness of using such methods. The frequency distribution of coding criteria was similar across journals and over time. This review also includes several future research directives for SNSC leadership and management researchers.