Inter-organizational network influence on long term and short term inter-individual relationships: The Case of a Trade Fair for TV Programs Distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa

International audienceIn this chapter we study the influence of inter-organizational relationships on the formation of inter-individual relationships in the context of a trade fair. From a multilevel network analysis perspective (MNA), research often shows that inter-organizational ties have a strong influence on inter-individual relationship formation and vice-versa. This mutual influence can be seen as a process of adjustment between levels of action that Lazega (Chap. 2 of this volume, and forthcoming) calls “synchronization.” Our study provides insights into specific aspects of this synchronization process. Through the study of a trade fair for TV program distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, we study the influence of inter-organizational ties (deals and partnerships) on short-term-inter-individual relationships created during this ‘field-configuring event’ and on long-term relationships created outside the trade fair but reactivated during the event. We try to understand how this event participates in the formation of a social milieu in which the markets for TV programs in Africa are embedded. We argue that the multilevel influences are different for short-term and long-term inter-individual ties. We assume that inter-organizational networks are more stable than inter-individual networks, since individuals can more easily create and destroy ties. Through our case study, we show that while the inter-organizational contract network influences the long-term inter-individual network, it has a weak influence on the short-term relationships, which supports the idea that synchronization of levels is an important social problem, and that trade fairs are a way either to escape from the constraints that come attached in markets, or a way to manage them