Dyson’s Bond and Bridge Networks (A5)

The following diagram is an “egocentric sociogram”. It depicts James Dyson’s bond and bridge network.

*“Broker bond” is not a Putnam term. Burt (1992) uses the term to label network members who can connect one network to another (see A.8. and A.9. for explanatory diagrams). It is used in the preceding sociogram to depict bonds who act as bridges (or, alternatively, “boundary spanners”), upwardly connecting the ego to external contacts. Both institutional bridges and broker bonds occupy outlying or demarcation positions relative to the ego’s boundaries. This implies that occupants of the bond boundary zone might be strategically placed to act as brokers or “superbrokers”. They are of sufficient proximity to the ego to reciprocate generalized trust, but also to have access to bridges. Such individuals are likely to be of high value to the innovator ego.