Albeit not extensive, there is some evidence to suggest that formal structure does strongly
influence communication patterns within firms. A few of the survey-based studies of intra-firm
networks have suggested that an organization‘s formal structure forms the backbone of the actual
relational structure of the firm. For instance, in an analysis of four different types of relations,
Han (1996) found that the network of interactions was tightly bound to the formal reporting
structure. Although not the primary purpose of the paper, a similarly central role of formal
structure in shaping interaction patterns is evident in Burt‘s (2004) analysis of social capital
effects in the supply chain function of a large electronics company