Dormant Ties: The Value Of Reconnecting
研究发现，重新激活已失去联系的旧关系（休眠关系）能为工作项目带来比现有关系更好的结果，同时兼具弱关系的效率和创新性以及强关系的信任和共同视角。
The social networks literature suggests that ties must be maintained to retain value. In contrast, we show that reconnecting dormant ties—former ties, now out of touch—can be extremely useful. Our research prompted Executive MBA students to consult their dormant contacts about an important work project; outcomes compared favorably to those of their current ties. In addition, reconnecting previously strong ties led to all of the four benefits that are usually associated with either weak ties (efficiency and novelty) or strong ties (trust and shared perspective). These findings suggest that dormant relationships—often overlooked or underutilized—can be a valuable source of knowledge and social capital.