The structure of social networks and the effects of local context on the reasons for participation in networks: A research on Turkish business people

In the literature, it is suggested that organizations embedded in network mechanisms can access resources and information that organizations not included in this system cannot have. In the organizational theory literature, what kind of inter-organizational networks exist, and the reasons why organizations join these networks have been discussed. In this study, it is aimed to determine which social networks Turkish entrepreneurs are in, whether these networks have unique characteristics that are affected by the context in which they are settled, and the reasons for business people to join these networks. A field study was designed and conducted to determine the relations and connections of the formal and social networks of the members of the board of directors of the enterprises operating in Turkey, which are on the list of "ISO Top 500 Industrial Enterprises", and to determine the reasons for entering the network mechanisms they have. The research findings reveal that the network relations that Turkish entrepreneurs have and the reasons for their participation in networks may have characteristics specific to the country context. In terms of its results, the aforementioned research contributes to the social network theory literature in terms of the resilience of social networks, contextual interactions and the explanation of the reasons for business people's participation in social networks. On the other hand, the research is the first to reveal the social network structures of Turkish business people in a detailed and comprehensive way.