Networks of inclusion: Using teams and technology to create diverse social capital

Abstract

This study of intraorganizational network dynamics develops a structural approach to the concept of inclusion in organizations. This approach is a complement to the definition of inclusion as a social-psychological response to experiences in a diverse social environment. We analyze networks of interaction over time in a large population of students and evaluate the extent to which two interventions—working in teams and using a social networking service (SNS)—grew and diversified their social capital. Using network data collected before and after 518 undergraduate students worked in 96 teams and participated in the SNS, we analyze the formation of new bridging social capital (ties between demographically dissimilar people) and new bonding social capital (ties between demographically similar people). Team membership had a large effect on social capital, creating positive bonding ties and bridging ties. But teams also created negative ties. The SNS facilitated tie formation but did not create negative ties. Together, the two interventions expanded networks and shifted the balance of ties in favor of bridging ties, producing a more structurally inclusive network. Our study demonstrates how intentional practices can be used to improve network inclusivity, as well as the value of viewing diversity and inclusion through the lens of intraorganizational network dynamics.