Does using social networks lead to better job opportunities? : a direct test
Name
951477739-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
1.78 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
24b5e0d1b1cc773f81aebf1c2ea9789d
Author(s)
Başbuğ, Gökçe
Advisor(s)
Ofer Sharone.
Date Issued
2015
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Research on the effect of social networks on job search outcomes has provided mixed results. Some studies found that the use of social contacts has positive effects on wages and on the other indicators of job quality while some others found negative effects. Previous studies, however, suffered from several methodological limitations such as selecting on the dependent variable or ignoring unobserved heterogeneity. In this paper, I develop a novel empirical approach studying job search by shifting the attention from search outcomes to the search process. Specifically, I investigate the effect of using social ties on the quality of jobs to which job seekers apply. Using within-person fixed effects models, I show that when the job seeker uses social contacts, she applies to the jobs that require less education and pay less than the jobs to which she applies through formal methods. The results hold important implications for our understanding of the job search process and the role of social contacts within this process.
Description
Thesis: S.M. in Management Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 25-26).
Subjects
Sloan School of Management.
MIT Department
Sloan School of Management
Terms of Use
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