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Abstract

This paper argues that social networks do not always produce monolithically beneficial impacts on performance (e.g., high productivity). This is to say that their influence is not always predictable and advantageous, as that influence is conditioned by status and context. Even performance in places of science such as research universities is not exempt from this contingent nature of network effects. Inspired by the work of DiMaggio and Garip (2012) and focused on the professional networks of academic scientists, this paper posits that the influence of such networks on performance (i.e., journal productivity, receipt of science awards) can either be attenuated, muted, or strengthened by professional status (e.g., academic rank) and social context. To gauge the tenability of this claim, quality data from a face-to-face quantitative survey of 105 chemical science professors in top research universities in three East Asian countries were analyzed. The analysis focused on two aspects of professional networks (i.e., having international ties and having ties in non-academic sectors), which have gained salience because of the globalization of science, the prevalence of digital technologies, and the advent of Triple Helix science. To explore how status and context condition networks affect performance, generalized linear regression analyses were performed. Results indicate that networks influence performance mainly through their interplay with status and context. Results also suggest that to understand the influence of networks on performance—even within scientific systems—its interplay with status and context is important to consider. Such consideration aids in generating deeper insights about the social conditions underlying creativity, discovery, and productivity in scientific life, which in turn can lead to fine-tuning concepts and relationships and advance understanding of science as a social activity.

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