Executive Women’s Networks: the Affinity Bias of Social Capital

In this paper, we create a unique database obtained from LinkedIn profiles of Executives, to understands the main drivers of who their contact with, since networks are a key tool for them to leverage their options of career promotion. Constructing from the preferential attachment theory (i.e., the tendency to connect to other people that are popular), we explore the role of potential affinity bias (i.e., homophily) that could influence their network connections, such as gender, the university or company they have worked in, or similar age. Finally, we explore if there are differences in the way Female and Male executives weight different factors in their decision to connect with other people. We show that women are less likely to connect to other people in LinkedIn, and they tend to do it with less popular people, and with a strong affinity bias that produce a network e argue is less strategic and useful for their professional career.