Understanding Clustering-Segregating-Reconnecting Dynamics at Multiple Levels and Contexts

The main idea behind this symposium is premised on a series of core observations in social and organizational life: (1) social entities form clusters; (2) clusters result in segregation; (3) segregated clusters are reconnected by bridging ties. This clustering-segregating-reconnecting dynamics is the common mechanism underlying a wide range of empirical phenomena ranging from racial segregation to firm-level geographic clustering and small-world networks. Rather than examining these three dynamics separately, we bring them together and look for a common thread among them to acquire a holistic understanding of the segregating-integrating mechanisms. In this symposium, we bring together scholars who study a variety of empirical phenomena yet share a common interest in illuminating these forces. Each presenter will present and discuss their own cutting research on either clustering or reconnection in a diverse set of contexts: organizational coalitions, firm agglomeration, geographic clusters, racial segregation, and inventor networks. In the end, we highlight a future research direction for understanding the segregating-clustering-reconnecting dynamics from a holistic perspective.