Business social network: an ‘age levelling’ service?

Over the past two decades, there has been an enormous increase of interest in the role of social networks in shaping economic phenomena. In the last years, this field of study has been facing the emergence and the unexpected achievements of several organizations aimed at building, making visible and maintaining business social networks: business social network services (BSNSs). In order to analyse how social capital is intentionally created, maintained and mobilised in business social networks services, we did an exploratory analysis of Milan IN, a non profit association set up in 2005 to allow members of LinkedIn living in Milan to personally meet each other; it now registers more than 5,300 members.Business social networks are mainly used by people born between 1966 and 1978. The younger and older age groups use them to avoid prejudices linked to seniority. They want the opportunity to prove their expertise, and not to be evaluated by their age.