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A Spinning top model of formal organization and informal behavior: dynamics of advice networks among judges in a commercial court

2006; Wiley; Volume: 3; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1057/palgrave.emr.1500058

1740-4762

Emmanuel Lazega, Claire Lemercier, Use Mounier,

Management and Organizational Studies

European Management ReviewVolume 3, Issue 2 p. 113-122 A Spinning top model of formal organization and informal behavior: dynamics of advice networks among judges in a commercial court Emmanuel Lazega, Corresponding Author Emmanuel Lazega C.E.R.S.O., Université de Paris IX — Dauphine, Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Paris, FranceC.E.R.S.O., Universite de Paris IX — Dauphine, Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France. Tel: 01 44 05 42 03 E-mail: emmanuel.[email protected]Search for more papers by this authorClaire Lemercier, Claire Lemercier I.H.M.C.-C.N.R.S., 45 rue d'Ulm, Paris, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorUse Mounier, Use Mounier Centre Maurice Halbwachs-C.N.R.S., 48 boulevard Jourdan, Paris, FranceSearch for more papers by this author Emmanuel Lazega, Corresponding Author Emmanuel Lazega C.E.R.S.O., Université de Paris IX — Dauphine, Place du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Paris, FranceC.E.R.S.O., Universite de Paris IX — Dauphine, Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France. Tel: 01 44 05 42 03 E-mail: emmanuel.[email protected]Search for more papers by this authorClaire Lemercier, Claire Lemercier I.H.M.C.-C.N.R.S., 45 rue d'Ulm, Paris, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorUse Mounier, Use Mounier Centre Maurice Halbwachs-C.N.R.S., 48 boulevard Jourdan, Paris, FranceSearch for more papers by this author First published: 13 December 2010 https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.emr.1500058Citations: 47AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract The longitudinal study of advice networks among 240 judges at the Commercial Court of Paris permits the examination of learning as an interactive process. We argue that a spinning top model is a useful heuristic for intra-organizational learning in dynamic advice networks. This model proposes that a stabilized elite preserves accumulated knowledge in a community that overall experiences high turnover and systematic job rotation, and hence runs the danger of inadequately sharing knowledge among its members. We test the model by analyzing the structure and dynamics of advice networks among judges at the Commercial Court of Paris. This dynamic structure reflects the informal homophilous preferences among judges organized in a strong formal system, a high relational turnover in the selection of advisors, and the emergence of an elite of senior advisors that stabilizes the learning process — much like the behavior of a spinning top. This case study also identifies an endogenous process of increasing and then decreasing centralization of this network over time, raising questions about the maintenance of the stability of the pecking order and about the relationship between learning and seniority. Results illustrate the importance of dynamic over static network analysis and call for a renewed attention to formal structure in organizations. References Argote, Linda, Aimee Kane and John Levine, 2005, “Knowledge transfer between groups via personnel rotation: Effects of social identity and knowledge quality”. Organizational Behavior and Human Decisions Processes, 96: 56–71. 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