Contributions to someone else's project may offer a foundation for future co-operation. Employees who play squash together may give promotional help or assist in progress-chasing a matter. These may exclude others on grounds of race, sex, credd or ethnic origin. Formal alliances range from meetings of professionals, joint ventures such as Airbus or between Rover and Honda and trade organisations such as the Guild of Master Craftsmen. All such networks will have active players and dormant members.
Members draw influence from membership.
A drink in the pub after work may inoccuously draw members of a team together, but when promoted by management or key figures in a network - it can shape corporate culture. The gathering is a forum in which the values and attitudes of an organisational sub-culture are groomed.