Employer social networks: learning lessons from the relationship between HR & organizational innovation in French SMEs
In this paper, we study the influence of the employer social networks on organizational innovation. The conceptual framework adopted here is that of the theory of structural holes (Burt, 1992, 1995), associated with the concept of the social network (Granovetter, 1985). This framework is tested by means of a quantitative study on a sample of 1 634 French enterprise, derived from the (2016-2017) REPONSE survey. The results reveal a positive correlation between the integration of firm members in employer social networks and organizational innovation, as measured by the adoption of lean management practices. This association can nevertheless vary, depending on the type of employer network.