Building Collegial Information Networks: A Theory of Advice Network Generation

The theory of network generation I present predicts actor selection and retention in forming an advice network. The research question explored is whom do people contact when needing advice? The theory posits that the advice seeker, when possessing rich information on potential alters, decides whom to contact by trading off expected knowledge value versus the cost of obtaining it. In the contact information poor case, alter selection antecedents are the potential contact's accessibility and perceived willingness to share advice.