The impact of cultural tightness on the relationship between structural holes, tie strength, and creativity

Social networks have gained increased attention as a lens to understand employee creativity around the world. We propose that a complete understanding of whether and when structural holes and tie strength are conducive to creativity requires considering the cultural tightness of the country in which individual creators are embedded. Building on the diversity–bandwidth trade-off identified in network research, we theorize that, in culturally tight countries, where knowledge diversity is the primary need, structural holes and low tie strength (i.e., network characteristics that provide knowledge diversity) have a stronger positive effect. Conversely, in culturally loose countries, where knowledge bandwidth is the primary need, cohesive networks and higher tie strength (i.e., network characteristics providing knowledge bandwidth) are more likely to enhance creativity. We find evidence in support of these predictions using meta-analytic data synthesizing more than 30 years of research. These findings point to the importance of considering the tightness of cultural context when constructing networking actions and strategies to foster individual creativity.