Triad Dynamics : Structural Holes, Cliques and the Tragedy of Brokers

Network research has been criticized for neglecting causes of network structure in favor of its effects. The ongoing discussion regarding the performance effects of structural holes vs. closure is a lively example of this behavior. Furthermore, recently there has been a call for moving away from the static view of networks into a more dynamic approach. In this paper, we address these issues by looking at the dynamics of the structural holes. We conceptualize structural hole argument as a triad and we identify alternative structures which these structural hole triads can evolve into. Basing our arguments on dynamic capabilities and the relational view of the firm, we theorize about the conditions under which structural hole triads will be stable and under which they will evolve into alternative structures