Boundary-spanning ties—i.e., interpersonal relationships that cross formal or informal social boundaries and provide the opportunity for network brokerage—have been repeatedly associated with enhanced career outcomes such as promotions and positive performance evaluations. Boundary-spanning ties facilitate these outcomes by providing individuals with access to valuable information and resources. However, a gender disparity exists in that women derive lower returns on their boundary-spanning ties relative to men in organizational contexts. This disparity disadvantages women in the workplace and has led to calls to identify boundary-spanning situations where women are not disadvantaged in this way. We address this issue by proposing that women are uniquely positioned to benefit from mobility ties, which are boundary-spanning ties to former coworkers after switching to a new employer. Drawing on social role theory and the social network literature, we hypothesize that women will derive more value from maintained mobility ties than men. We further hypothesize that relational trust is the mediating mechanism that explains why women—who are often seen as more communal than men—will benefit more from mobility ties. We find support for these hypotheses in two studies of full-time working professionals (N = 330 and N = 325). Our results suggest that a focus on mobility ties is a way in which women can benefit from boundary-spanning ties without incurring the negative repercussions they typically face. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
