The Emergence of Reputational Niches: A Social Network and Biochemical Perspectives for Understanding Novelty in Bureaucratic Reputation

Since the 1990s, bureaucratic reputation has assumed a prominent place in the study of bureaucratic politics, culminating in the finding that reputations matter. Currently, there is one dominant definition of bureaucratic reputation and one prevailing theory (Carpenter 2001; 2010). This theory has little to say about the emergence of reputational niches, defined as a role, position, and specialization not yet exploited in the agency’s policy domain and/or in overlapping domains. The premise underlying this study is that the symbolic context within which agency operates is as important for agency’s behavior as the context of executive politics. Based on this premise, the paper develops an analytical framework that identifies key mechanisms operating at the level of single and multiple audience networks, that may lead to the emergence of a reputation niche. The framework distinguishes between jurisdictional-based reputational niches and audience-based niches. Focusing on the latter and based on insights from social network and biochemical analyses (Padgett and Powell 2012; Padgett 2012), the framework conceptualizes network ties as networks of transformations, rather than networks of mere transmission. The transformative work undertaken by audience networks in the production, exchange, and communication of new ideas and language creates language communities. Reputational niches emerge from these communities when the networks’ transformative work is disrupted by, for example, an abrupt change of powerful actors within an audience network, and opportunities for new language communities are created. Disruptions of multi-networks environments can elevate network audience’ concern or expectation into a reputational niche for a bureaucratic agency.