Strength of Strong Ties: Empirical Evidence from the Construction Waste Hauling Business in Hong Kong
Publication: Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 40, Issue 6
Abstract
The so-called strength of weak ties (SWT) theory asserts that weak relationships are more instrumental than strong ones in job searching and sharing. Yet, some posit the opposite: job opportunities tend to be shared through strong ties in some business areas. Nevertheless, little empirical research has been conducted to substantiate the hypotheses and unravel the rationales behind them. This paper attempts to contribute empirical evidence to this management field by focusing on the construction waste hauling business in Hong Kong. Four null hypotheses about the relationships between haulers’ tie strength and job opportunity sharing (defined as waste hauling order sharing) are proposed, and then a big data set containing 11.7 million waste hauling records is analyzed to test the hypotheses. The analysis shows that, in general, the stronger the tie strength of two haulers, the higher the quantity of job opportunities they share. Among all ties a hauler owns, the greater the proportion of strong ties, the higher the quantity and quality (e.g., shorter distance and less underloading) of job opportunities will be shared. However, these positive effects will be diminished when the strength or proportion exceeds a certain point. These empirical findings not only highlight the strength of strong ties, providing an empirical supplement for the long-standing SWT theory, but also exemplify an exploration of applying SWT theory in the construction management field. Moreover, this study provides practical implications for construction waste hauling businesses to improve efficiency and the public sector to pursue social optimality in construction waste management.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, specifically including (1) a small sample of the entire big data set; and (2) the metric computation code.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) 2022/2023 (Project 37000622).
References
Badi, S., L. Wang, and S. Pryke. 2017. “Relationship marketing in Guanxi networks: A social network analysis study of Chinese construction small and medium-sized enterprises.” Ind. Mark. Manage. 60 (Jun): 204–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.03.014.
Beaman, L., and J. Magruder. 2012. “Who gets the job referral? Evidence from a social networks experiment.” Am. Econ. Rev. 102 (7): 3574–3593. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.7.3574.
Bi, W., W. Lu, Z. Zhao, and C. J. Webster. 2022. “Combinatorial optimization of construction waste collection and transportation: A case study of Hong Kong.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 179 (Jun): 106043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106043.
Bian, Y., X. Huang, and L. Zhang. 2015. “Information and favoritism: The network effect on wage income in China.” Social Networks 40 (Jan): 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2014.09.003.
Brown, D. W., and A. M. Konrad. 2001. “Granovetter was right: The importance of weak ties to a contemporary job search.” Group Organ. Manage. 26 (4): 434–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601101264003.
Buvik, M. P., and M. Rolfsen. 2015. “Prior ties and trust development in project teams—A case study from the construction industry.” Int. J. Project Manage. 33 (7): 1484–1494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.06.002.
Cheung, C.-K., and Y. Gui. 2006. “Job referral in China: The advantages of strong ties.” Hum. Relations 59 (6): 847–872. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726706067151.
Chowa, G., R. Masa, N. Bilotta, G. Zulu, and M. Manzanares. 2023. “Can social networks improve job search behaviours among low-income youth in resource-limited settings? Evidence from South Africa.” Dev. South. Africa 40 (4): 729–749. https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2022.2120457.
Dean, G., P. Gottschalk, and I. Fahsing. 2010. Organized crime: Policing illegal business entrepreneurialism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Deshpande, A., and S. Khanna. 2021. “Can weak ties create social capital? Evidence from self-help groups in rural India.” World Dev. 146 (Jun): 105534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105534.
EPD (Environmental Protection Department). 2005. “Construction waste disposal charging scheme.” Accessed December 1, 2023. https://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/misc/cdm/scheme.htm.
EPD (Environmental Protection Department). 2022. “Monitoring of solid waste in Hong Kong–Waste statistics for 2021.” Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/resources_centre/waste_statistics/msw2021_eng.pdf.
Falk, A., and A. Ichino. 2006. “Clean evidence on peer effects.” J. Labor Econ. 24 (1): 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1086/497818.
Feng, Z., and R. Patulny. 2021. “Should I use my ‘weak’ social capital or ‘strong’ guanxi? Reviewing and critiquing two theories in the context of Western-Chinese migration.” J. Sociol. 57 (2): 464–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783320925152.
Fisher, R. A. 1992. “Statistical methods for research workers.” In Breakthroughs in statistics, edited by S. Kotz and N. L. Johnson, 66–70. New York: Springer.
Garg, R., and R. Telang. 2018. “To be or not to be linked: Online social networks and job search by unemployed workforce.” Manage. Sci. 64 (8): 3926–3941. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2784.
Gee, L. K., J. Jones, and M. Burke. 2017. “Social networks and labor markets: How strong ties relate to job finding on Facebook’s social network.” J. Labor Econ. 35 (2): 485–518. https://doi.org/10.1086/686225.
Granovetter, M. S. 1973. “The strength of weak ties.” Am. J. Soc. 78 (6): 1360–1380. https://doi.org/10.1086/225469.
Greenberg, J., and R. M. Fernandez. 2016. “The strength of weak ties in MBA job search: A within–Person test.” Soc. Sci. 3 (Dec): 296–316. https://doi.org/10.15195/v3.a14.
Haber, M. G., J. L. Cohen, T. Lucas, and B. B. Baltes. 2007. “The relationship between self-reported received and perceived social support: A meta-analytic review.” Am. J. Community Psychol. 39 (Dec): 133–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9100-9.
Hagedoorn, J., and H. T. Frankort. 2008. “The gloomy side of embeddedness: The effects of overembeddedness on inter-firm partnership formation.” In Vol. 25 of Network strategy, edited by J. A. C. Baum and T. J. E. Rowley, 503–530. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.
Han, H., and E. Ponce Cueto. 2015. “Waste collection vehicle routing problem: Literature review.” PROMET-Traffic Transp. 27 (4): 345–358. https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v27i4.1616.
Huszti, É., B. Dávid, and K. Vajda. 2013. “Strong tie, weak tie and in-betweens: A continuous measure of tie strength based on contact diary datasets.” Procedia-Soc. Behav. Sci. 79 (Dec): 38–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.05.056.
Khalilzadeh, J., and A. D. Tasci. 2017. “Large sample size, significance level, and the effect size: Solutions to perils of using big data for academic research.” Tourism Manage. 62 (Dec): 89–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.03.026.
Ki, N., T. Yoon, and J. Swanson. 2023. “Do not ask for job information from your close friends or from strangers: Strength of moderate ties in finding a satisfying job.” Curr. Psychol. 43 (12): 10540–10556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04850-4.
Kim, M., and R. M. Fernandez. 2017. “Strength matters: Tie strength as a causal driver of networks’ information benefits.” Social Sci. Res. 65 (Dec): 268–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.11.003.
Korpi, T. 2001. “Good friends in bad times? Social networks and job search among the unemployed in Sweden.” Acta Sociologica 44 (2): 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/000169901300346891.
Krämer, N. C., V. Sauer, and N. Ellison. 2021. “The strength of weak ties revisited: Further evidence of the role of strong ties in the provision of online social support.” Social Media+ Soc. 7 (2): 20563051211024958. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211024958.
Krishna, R., J. Mishra, S. Meher, S. K. Das, S. Mustakim, and S. K. Singh. 2020. “Industrial solid waste management through sustainable green technology: Case study insights from steel and mining industry in Keonjhar, India.” Mater. Today Proc. 33 (Dec): 5243–5249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.02.949.
Lakey, B., and P. B. Cassady. 1990. “Cognitive processes in perceived social support.” J. Personality Social Psychol. 59 (2): 337. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.2.337.
Langford, C. R., M. L. Lengnick-Hall, and M. Kulkarni. 2013. “How do social networks influence the employment prospects of people with disabilities?” Employee Responsibilities Rights J. 25 (Jan): 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-012-9194-6.
Levati, L. M., and M. Lalanne. 2020. “The impact of job referrals on employment outcomes in top corporate positions.” Accessed October 10, 2023. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3551182.
Lin, N. 1999. “Social networks and status attainment.” Annu. Rev. Soc. 25 (1): 467–487. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.25.1.467.
Liu, C., J. Cao, G. Wu, X. Zhao, and J. Zuo. 2022. “Interenterprise collaboration network in international construction projects: Evidence from Chinese construction enterprises.” J. Manage. Eng. 38 (2): 05021018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001006.
Loury, L. D. 2006. “Some contacts are more equal than others: Informal networks, job tenure, and wages.” J. Labor Econ. 24 (2): 299–318. https://doi.org/10.1086/499974.
Lowik, S., D. Van Rossum, J. Kraaijenbrink, and A. Groen. 2012. “Strong ties as sources of new knowledge: How small firms innovate through bridging capabilities.” J. Small Bus. Manage. 50 (2): 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2012.00352.x.
Lu, W., L. Yuan, and W. M. Lee. 2022. “Understanding loading patterns of construction waste hauling trucks: Triangulation between big quantitative and informative qualitative data.” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 29 (33): 50867–50880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19387-5.
Lu, W., L. Yuan, and F. Xue. 2021. “Investigating the bulk density of construction waste: A big data-driven approach.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 169 (Mar): 105480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105480.
Marin, A. 2012. “Don’t mention it: Why people don’t share job information, when they do, and why it matters.” Social Networks 34 (2): 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2011.11.002.
Montgomery, J. D. 1992. “Job search and network composition: Implications of the strength-of-weak-ties hypothesis.” Am. Sociological Rev. 57 (5): 586–596. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095914.
Nelson, R. E. 1989. “The strength of strong ties: Social networks and intergroup conflict in organizations.” Acad. Manage. J. 32 (2): 377–401. https://doi.org/10.2307/256367.
Obukhova, E. 2012. “Motivation versus relevance: Using strong ties to find a job in urban China.” Social Sci. Res. 41 (3): 570–580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.12.010.
Patulny, R., G. Ramia, Z. Feng, M. Peterie, and G. Marston. 2019. “The strong, the weak and the meaningful: Do friends or acquaintances help us get “any” job, or “meaningful” work?” Int. J. Sociol. Social Policy 39 (5/6): 376–394. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-11-2018-0193.
Putnam, R. D. 2000. Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Rajkumar, K., G. Saint-Jacques, I. Bojinov, E. Brynjolfsson, and S. Aral. 2022. “A causal test of the strength of weak ties.” Science 377 (6612): 1304–1310. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl4476.
Shao, S., S. X. Xu, and G. Q. Huang. 2020. “Variable neighborhood search and Tabu search for auction-based waste collection synchronization.” Transp. Res. Part B Methodol. 133 (Mar): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2019.12.004.
Smith, S. S. 2007. Lone pursuit: Distrust and defensive individualism among the black poor. New York: SAGE.
Sullivan, G. M., and R. Feinn. 2012. “Using effect size—Or why the P value is not enough.” J. Grad. Med. Educ. 4 (3): 279–282. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-12-00156.1.
Wegener, B. 1991. “Job mobility and social ties: Social resources, prior job, and status attainment.” Am. Soc. Rev. 56 (1): 60–71. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095673.
Wy, J., B.-I. Kim, and S. Kim. 2013. “The rollon–rolloff waste collection vehicle routing problem with time windows.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 224 (3): 466–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2012.09.001.
Xu, J., W. Lu, and E. Papadonikolaki. 2022. “Human-organization-technology fit model for BIM adoption in construction project organizations: Impact factor analysis using SNA and comparative case study.” J. Manage. Eng. 38 (3): 04022004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001013.
Yakubovich, V. 2005. “Weak ties, information, and influence: How workers find jobs in a local Russian labor market.” Am. Soc. Rev. 70 (3): 408–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240507000303.
Zenou, Y. 2015. “A dynamic model of weak and strong ties in the labor market.” J. Labor Econ. 33 (4): 891–932. https://doi.org/10.1086/681098.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Management in Engineering
Volume 40 • Issue 6 • November 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 22, 2023
Accepted: May 23, 2024
Published online: Jul 30, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 30, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.