Chapter 12: Social Perspectives: Understanding People and Places
By noting Mark Zuckerberg’s casual and business interactions whilst at Harvard University, this case study explores the collabartive effort behind the creation of now billion-dollar social networking site, Facebook. Download full case study here: Chapter 12 - case study
Chapter 12: Questions
The following questions are based around Section 12.2.4, ‘Investigating entrepreneurial networks and networking’:
1. How did members of Zuckerberg’s network help with the initial development of his business?
Guidance answer:
Saverin provided early development for the site and also investment capital. He also introduced the site to his club from which it attracted large numbers of visitors.
2. In what sense was the network represented by Saverin a problem? How were new network members perhaps considered by Zuckerberg to be more useful?
Guidance answer:
Zuckerberg appears to see Saverin as being too wedded to old ways of doing business and not willing to adapt. Parker was a new member to Zuckerberg’s network and he brought ideas and people (investors) who were necessary at a certain point in the company’s development.
3. Were all the people that Zuckerberg came across and who contributed to his success acquired via networking?
Guidance answer:
Some contacts were the results of Zuckerberg’s success making him attractive and interesting to others, e.g. the Winklevoss twins. He did not approach them, they approached him.
It could also be argued that coming across Christy Lee and Alice was not a deliberate networking act on the part of Zuckerberg, he just happened to be at an event that they were also attending. However it could also be argued that the nature of the event, a talk by Bill Gates, was more likely to attract people with an interest in IT and business.
