Job Search in Three Societies: Gender, Contacts, and Network Chains Chih-jou Jay Chen and Te-lin Yu Academia Sinica

Education Initial (parental or previous) Statuses Network Resources Extensity of Ties Tie Strength with Contact Contact Status Attained Statuses [Access to Social Capital] [Mobilization of Social Capital] _ _ + Starting from the social capital model of status attainment Source: Lin

Education Tie Strength with Contact Contact Status Attained Statuses [Mobilization of Social Capital] _ Research Questions: Do tie-strength-effect and social-resource effect differ across gender groups in different societies? Source: Lin 1999 (1) (2) (1)Tie strength effect (2)Social resource effect

Data and measurements Data: Three-society social capital survey, wave 1 ( ) The contact or contacts –Job-search chains of multiple nodes – “The helper is my _____’s _______’s ______.” [e.g., my father’s coworker; my friend’s father’s uncle. ]

The role relations and tie strength of job-search chains Role relations: “So, the most important helper who helped you found your job is “ –My X (father, coworker, etc.) –My X’s X ( father’s coworker, coworker’s friend, etc.) –My X’s X’s X (father’s coworker’s brother) Intimacy: –“how close do you feel to the helper?”

Variables Attained status / Social Contact status: holding an executive position Tie strength effect –Intimacy (emotional closeness) between ego and the last helper –Role relations between ego and the first helper in the chain –Chain length The number of nodes of the job-search chain –Homophily same-sex tie between ego and helper(s)

Y=attained status USTaiwanChina TotalMaleFemaleTotalMaleFemaleTotalMaleFemale Male ns+ Age +ns Education +ns Social resources effect ns Tie strength effect Intimacy ++ns ─ Role relations (friends) Kin Work relationship ns + ns + ns + ns Chain length ns Homophily: same-sex tie ns

Y=Contact status USTaiwanChina TotalMaleFemaleTotalMaleFemaleTotalMaleFemale Male ns+ Age ++ns+ +++ Education Tie strength effect Intimacy ─ns─ ── Role relations (friends) Kin Work relationship ─+─+ ─ ns ─+─+ + ns + ns + ns + ns Chain length ++ns++ Homophily: same-sex tie ns ─ ─ +─

Conclusive remarks The use of social ties of varying strengths and attribute homophily are shaped by institutional and labor market contexts. –Kinship relations play an important and effective role in China, particularly for Chinese males. –Work relationship is most effective in the U.S. and Taiwan. Role relations and tie-homophily are important in the mobilization of social capital. Gender difference in the mobilization of social capital is significant in the three societies, with varying degrees and contents.