In this study, we examine transformations in the influence of risk managers in two large UK banks over a period of six years. Our analysis highlights that a process we term toolmaking, whereby experts create, articulate and shape tools that embody their expertise, is central to the way in which...

We study the influence of the corporate board network on executive pay for 3,395 US firms over the period from 1990 to 2015. Drawing on structural anthropology and social exchange theory, we identify three elementary structures through which the interlocking network captures an obvious form of...

The paper traces the intertwined evolution of financial risk management and the financial derivatives markets. Spanning from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, this paper reveals the social, political and organizational factors that underpinned the exponential success of one of today's leading...

The introduction of index-based derivatives is one of the most important developments in post-war financial markets; today these contracts are amongst the most commonly traded financial instruments. Yet, no sociological accounts based on empirical material have focused on the creation of...

Is the growth of modern financial risk management a result of the accuracy and reliability of risk models? In this paper we argue that the remarkable success of today's financial risk management methods should be attributed primarily to their communicative and organizational usefulness and less...

We investigate whether social connections within the hedge fund industry affect investment decisions. Data is collected from interviews and observations with industry participants in Europe, the United States and Asia. Quantitatively analyzing the mapped social network, we find that decision...