Weak tie interactions in networking: five types of interaction structures

Weak ties contribute to an individual's happiness, health and career, yet networking events supporting weak ties are often considered ineffective and unenjoyable. More support is needed to aid the design of these experiences. This inductive qualitative study explores how weak tie interactions occurred in a 3-day event for a professional networking community. Data was collected from multiple behavioural settings through direct observation, semi-structured interviews and archival data. Results highlight five structures underpinning weak tie interactions and associated implications for design.