Brokerage, power and individual innovation:When do brokers act on their structural advantage?

Prior research has found that brokers, those who stand between two disconnected parties, may access non-redundant information that is conducive to higher innovation. However, research has also shown that occupying brokering network positions does not systematically translate into higher innovation; that is, structural opportunity does not always lead to advantage. To better understand the conditions under which brokers innovate, we adopt a contingency approach and theorize that the relationship between brokerage and individual innovation is contingent on individuals' perception of their ability to influence those they are connected to – which we label “relational sense of power” – an important aspect of individuals' representation of the situation they are in. Using a social network analysis at a consulting and training organization in The Netherlands, we found support for our theory: employees’ relational sense of power is positively related to innovation in brokering network positions.