Drawing on network theory we investigate how the hierarchical position of organizational members affects their willingness to exchange advice during sudden corporate downsizing. Based on a field study that focuses on employee downsizing at a European IT service provider, we propose and test a theoretical perspective that explains how and when employees reallocate voluntary advice ties. Our findings suggest that individuals exhibit varying levels of resilience to change, with new advice activity shifting towards hierarchical equals and away from colleagues with a higher hierarchical level. Moreover, whereas individuals with a preference for upward networking do not seek others out before a downsizing event, they do so after downsizing. The results of our study shed light on the theoretical mechanisms that underlie the formation of voluntary intra-organizational network patterns. These findings have important implications for understanding organizational behaviour during organizational change.

In this study, we explore the relationship between inter-organizational network dynamics and innovation outcomes. We focus on node turnover and argue that both cluster and broker dynamics can range from low (stable) to high (volatile), resulting in differentiated outcomes. The data comprises 318 consortium members participating in 104 R&D consortia forged in a 23-year period in the Dutch water sector. Our analysis reveals two equifinal combinations (stable brokers – volatile clusters and volatile brokers – stable clusters) that both generate significantly higher innovation outcomes compared to networks with low, moderate, or high dynamics across the entire network.