In light of the results and limitations of this study, there are several implications for professional development research and practice, and for brokerage theory. First, this study represents a step in understanding how the professional development field is structured. Professional development has received a great deal of research attention, but very little has explored the internal workings of the field itself. Little is known about the organizations and actors involved in professional development or about interactions among them. Yet, the the structure of networks in a field influence the availability and flow of ideas (Beckert, 2010a). The available ideas, in turn, influence which practices are adopted (Beckert, 2010a; Coburn, 2004; 2005a; Rao et al., 2003). Influence actors can play a critical role in the promotion of ideas (Burt, 1999). In this study, influence PD actors came from a variety of
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First, it provides much needed evidence on brokerage processes. Research on brokerage is limited by a lack of studies exploring how brokers enact their network position (Obstfeld et al., 2014). Specifically, few studies have used network measures of brokerage along with detailed qualitative data to explore what brokers are actually doing. Brokerage research has tended to assume that the advantages afforded by network position are uniformly across actors. Using detailed interview data along with network measures of brokerage, this study shows that brokerage processes are influence by organizational setting. This suggests that there are constraints on the “structural autonomy” offered by network position that vary across contexts. The advantages provided by network position are not uniform across similarly positioned actors. Other social forces shape how these actors engage their relationships. The use of strictly network-level measures of brokerage may mask a variety of brokerage processes (Obstfeld et al.,
First, it provides much needed evidence on brokerage processes. Research on brokerage is limited by a lack of studies exploring how brokers enact their network position (Obstfeld et al., 2014). Specifically, few studies have used network measures of brokerage along with detailed qualitative data to explore what brokers are actually doing. Brokerage research has tended to assume that the advantages afforded by network position are uniformly across actors. Using detailed interview data along with network measures of brokerage, this study shows that brokerage processes are influence by organizational setting. This suggests that there are constraints on the “structural autonomy” offered by network position that vary across contexts. The advantages provided by network position are not uniform across similarly positioned actors. Other social forces shape how these actors engage their relationships. The use of strictly network-level measures of brokerage may mask a variety of brokerage processes (Obstfeld et al.,