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Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
ConnectionsintheWorkplaceasaWayofAccumulatingSocialCapital…
19
Typeofrelationship
Helpedmeintheworkplace
Helpedmetondabetterjob
Anyotherhelp
Supportedmeindifficultlifesituations
Wespendtimetogether
Other-provideexamples*
Manyanswerschosen
Noanswergiven
Co-worker
13
10
11
5
2
5
2
2
Friend
9
4
1
5
7
2
6
8
Closefriend
9
5
3
7
6
1
8
7
Source:Author’sstudyonthebasisofthesurvey.
*thesewereusuallynegativeexamples
AgainstPutnam,sstatementthatmoststudiesofpersonalnetworksreportco-
workerstocompriselessthan10percentofaperson,sfriends,intheresearchthemost
numerousgroupofcontactswere“co-workers.”Although“friends”and“closefriends”
areinanequalposition,contactwith“closefriends”ismoreintensethanwith“friends.”
Tefactwhichdeservesattentionhereisthatthequestionwaslefunansweredonly
twiceinthecaseof“co-workers,”buteightandseventimesinthecaseof“friends”and
“closefriends.”Whatismore,mostofthetimemorethanoneanswerwaschosento
describethenatureoftherelationshipwith“co-workers”andrelativelyfewertimesto
describecontactwith“friends”and“closefriends.”Teimplicationofthesendings
isnotsomuchthatPolishimmigrantsdonotmakecloserelationshipsinAmerican
workplaces,butthattheychooseco-workerstosocializewithmostfrequentlyand
willingly;thisisprobablybecausesuchtiesdonotdemandmuchreciprocity.Contact
withco-workersmayremainsteady,butitdoesnotneedtobetreasuredasmuch.By
thesametoken,itisnottimeconsuming,andtimeis,astheysay,whattherespondents
lackmosttoday.
Help,includingndingabetterjob,aswellasallkindsofsupportandentertainment
aretheleadingbenefitswhichstemfromsocialcapitalaccumulatedintheworkplace.
Studiesprovethatimmigrantsrelyonnetworksforemploymentinformationandaccess
tojobmarkets(Choldin1973,Elliott2001,DreverandHofmeister2008,Whitesand
Ryan2008).Inthecaseofnewimmigrantsthisisbecauseforeign-bornworkerstend
topossesspoorEnglishskillsandlittleeducationcomparedwithnative-bornworkers,
theylackexperienceinsearchingthroughtheforeignlabormarket,andtheyarenot
familiarwithitsopportunitiesandconditions.Inthecaseofmigrantsofalongerstay,
suchconnectionsmightbeachanceforbetteringone,snancialsituation,as“most
ofusgetourjobsbecauseofwhomweknow,notwhatweknowthatis,oursocial
capital,notourhumancapital”(Putnam1995,20).Tewordsofarespondentconfirm
this:“Iwashelpedbythosewithbetterexperienceafriendofmine,whogotabetter
job,tookmetherewithhim”(S).OverhalfofalljobsintheUSAarefoundinthisway
(Elliot2001).Whatismore,intheUSAemployersarewillingtohireimmigrantsin
ordertocutcosts(DreverandHofmeister2008).