1. LEARNING BY CONNECTING SOCIAL CAPITAL AS A LEARNING LANDSCAPE by Lidewey van der Sluis Phd ¹ and Tjip de Jong Msc ² Paper presentation at the XXVI International Sunbelt Social Network Conference April 24-30, 2006 Vancouver, Canada 28 th of April 2006 ¹ Lidewey van der Sluis is an Associate Professor in Business Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ² Tjip de Jong is a consultant and researcher at Kessels & Smit The Learning Company, The Netherlands.

4. How do we see this in a larger organizational context? Organization Working environment Individuals Connections Illumination

6. (2) Conceptual framework of learning and social capital (II) Organization A Organization B Teams Individuals Bridging Connections Linking Connections Bonding Connections

7. (2) Conceptual framework of learning and social capital (III) - Possible re-balancing of existing inter-relationships - Provides a rich set of additional meaning and sense-making to actors Inter contact learning : level γ - Connections outside the organisation or paradigm - Leveraging a far wider range of resources (3) Cross-oriented: linking - Reciprocity and trust are context dependent - Loose and open-ended networks - Connections are based on urgency or curiosity - Stability - Strong norms of reciprocity - Vision and identification plays a dominant role - Group think - Danger of limited access to new and varied skills and knowledge Intra contact learning: level β - Free exchange of skills and knowledge - Trustworthiness is created via reciprocity and trust (2) Relation-oriented: bonding - Dense and bounded networks - Homogeneity of membership - Reciprocity and trust are high - Instable connections: searching for balance - Trust influences reciprocity of information - Norms of reciprocity are unstable Intra contact learning: level α - Relatively free exchange of skills and knowledge - Knowledge sharing is highly context dependent (risk for the individual) (1) Network-oriented: bridging - Shared norms and common goals - Reciprocity and trust are limited - Mutual attractiveness plays a dominant role Characteristics Possible effects on learning Types of social capital

9. (3) Methodology and data collection methods (II) Playing a game of story telling

10. (3) Methodology and data collection methods (III) Overarching research methodology Composition of social capital Characteristics of connections Realisation of learning processes Effect on skills & knowledge Enrichment Recognition Reflection

12. Conclusion of this study (I) Caught in a scheme - Re-balancing of existing inter-relationships - Provides a rich set of additional meaning and sense-making to actors - Facilitates the process of reflection Inter contact learning : level γ - Connections outside the organisation or paradigm - Leveraging a far wider range of resources (3) Cross-oriented: linking - Loose and open-ended network - Based on urgency and relevance - Reciprocity and trust is context dependent - Stability - Group think - Strong norms of reciprocity - Limited access to new skills and knowledge Intra contact learning: level β - Free exchange of information and knowledge - Skills exchange is limited (2) Relation-oriented: bonding - Dense and bounded networks - Homogeneity of membership - High interpersonal norms - High level of interpersonal trust - Instable connections - Bridging enables individual access to a ‘new’ social network - Level of reciprocity is unstable Intra contact learning: level α - Free exchange of skills (exchange of experiences) - Knowledge exchange is limited (1) Network-oriented: bridging - Mutual attractiveness plays a dominant role - Level of trust plays a dominant role - Norms of reciprocity is limited - Moderate degree of shared vision Characteristics Possible effects on learning Type of social capital