Status: Published in Social Science Research

Authors: D. Michael Lindsay, Ariela Schachter, Jeremy R. Porter, and David C. Sorge

Citation: Lindsay, D. M., Schachter, A., Porter, J. R., & Sorge, D. C. (2014). Parvenus and Conflict in Elite Cohorts. Social Science Research, 47, 14-30.

Abstract: This study examines how newcomers (“parvenus”) to elite social networks create conflict within established cohorts. Using data from Fortune 500 CEOs, cabinet secretaries, and U.S. presidents, we analyze the dynamics of elite integration and conflict.

Methods: Network analysis, elite interviews, longitudinal data analysis

Key Findings:

• Newcomers to elite networks create measurable tension within established cohorts
• Integration patterns vary by institutional context
• Elite conflict has predictable social structural origins

Implications: Advances understanding of elite reproduction and social network dynamics, with applications for organizational leadership and social stratification research.