Page - (000066) - in Knowledge and Networks

57 Lewin’s fi eld theory provides a suitable framework, representing a metaphor and a model for the process-like course of psychoeconomic fi elds of topics. The inclusion of actors’ assumptions—their economic, social, and cultural capital—in Lewin’s fi eld theory offers a more precise and differentiated view. Among the vari- ous applications of fi eld theory, Elsass and Veiga ( 1994 ), for example, used fi eld theory as a way to explain acculturation within organizations. The Role of Networks The concept of fl exible, open organizations, which are willing to learn, continues to replace rationalistic and rule-oriented notions of appropriate behavior in organiza- tions. In this regard, networks can be seen as structures that are more suitable than bureaucratic organizations. A network is defi ned by the cooperative work of its participants, as well as by stability, voluntariness of participation, trust, individual objectives, and the objec- tives of the network partners, including autonomy and interdependency (Borgatti & Foster, 2003 ). The ego-centered network is a distinct type of network, focused on an actor (ego), who then identifi es the network partners (alteri). This is the conceptual basis for the coauthored studies by Stroppa and Spieß ( 2010 , 2011 ) discussed in this chapter. The participants in a network are infl uenced by group processes, which leads to network partners interacting primarily with people similar to themselves (regarding race, gender, and status). This produces fewer confl icts, but also results in less diver- sity (e.g., creativity in terms of product development). Networks have unique struc- tural forms that offer certain advantages over those of hierarchies and markets (Powell, 1990 ). They are fl exible and fast-working, offer favorable terms for learn- ing processes and knowledge exchange, and reduce the level of uncertainty, which is particularly high for market-related transactions. The development and sustainability of networks relies heavily on trust. Networks facilitate access to specifi c resources and information (Borgatti & Foster, 2003 ). According to Sydow ( 1992 ), networks establish a link between organizational and interorganizational fl exibility, with openness forming one of their core characteristics. Making organizations more effi cient by decentralizing and restructuring them reduces the existing division of labor, so an objective is to form networks of equal, self-regulating organizational entities. However, these networks can only work if decision-making processes and employee cooperation are successful (Cross, Kaše, Kilduff, & King, 2013 ). One functional characteristic of networks is social support, which offers network participants reliability and gives them backing. Social control, however, is also a functional network characteristic linked to social support—for example, in terms of norm orientation and the transmission of values. Networks can play an important role regarding foreign assignments. 3 Interpersonal Networks in Foreign Assignments and Intercultural Learning Processes