Zhang Jiabing. / Thesis submitted in: October 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-50). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research questions --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- Thesis organization --- p.2 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- Conceptualization of social ties --- p.4 / Chapter 2.2 --- Social ties in context --- p.7 / Chapter 2.3 --- Quality of job information --- p.8 / Chapter 2.4 --- Other dimensions of social ties --- p.12 / Chapter 2.5 --- Work ties and the relevancy of job information --- p.14 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Data and methodology --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1 --- Analytical framework --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2 --- Data --- p.21 / Chapter 3.3 --- Variables --- p.22 / Chapter 3.4 --- Method --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.27 / Chapter 4.1 --- Characteristics of work ties --- p.27 / Chapter 4.2 --- Why use work ties? --- p.30 / Chapter 4.3 --- The outcomes of using work ties --- p.39 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.44 / Bibliography --- p.48