Dormant ties: The value of reconnecting

The prevailing view of social network ties is that, if not continually maintained, they will wither and disappear, losing their value as social capital. In contrast, we propose that dormant ties-i.e., former ties in which two parties have lost touch-can be a valuable source of knowledge if re-connected. Moreover, we predict that dormant ties that were once strong ties can combine the two benefits of weak ties (efficiency and novelty) with the two benefits of strong ties (solidarity and comprehension). Our research observes the effects of executives who consulted with their dormant ties about an important work project. The results indicate that executives spent considerably less time consulting with their reconnected dormant ties than with their current ties, yet rated usefulness as either comparable or better. Also, as predicted, dormant strong ties combined all four benefits of network ties. These results point to the value of dormant ties as an overlooked and largely untapped source of social capital.