Strong or Weak Ties? British and Indian Expatriate Scientists Finding Jobs in Boston
Global Networks, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 453-73, 2008
21 Pages Posted: 5 Nov 2010 Last revised: 30 Oct 2012
Date Written: 2008
Abstract
In this article I analyse the different social networks that British and Indian scientists use to obtain job information in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector around Boston, Massachusetts. I argue that individuals’ social networks are critical in helping highly skilled migrants find jobs. The research finds that British and Indian scientists use both strong and weak ties to obtain jobs and there is no significant difference between senior and junior workers in terms of whether they relied on strong or weak ties. I argue, nonetheless, that the terms strong ties and weak ties are problematic because they are not clearly understood or mutually exclusive.
Keywords: social networks, strong and weak ties, British expatriates, Indian expatriates, Boston, scientists, job information
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