Is personal initiative contagious in social networks?

Personal initiative is an increasingly important attribute in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of conditions and situations. Corporate cultures infused by initiative will likely make corporations more successful and sustainable. Fay and Frese (2001) defined personal Initiative as “...work behavior characterized by its self-starting nature, its proactive approach, and by being persistent in overcoming difficulties that arise in the pursuit of a goal.“ The definition implies initiative as a personal trait or attribute.

A growing body of research has shown that traits and attibutes seemingly similar to personal initiative can actually spread in networks of relationships. 

Emotions expressed by others on Facebook influence our own emotions say the authors of a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Social networks and altruism are deeply interconnected. Research by Christakis and Fowler demonstrates that kind acts flow across social ties and social ties provide the substrate for inter-personal altruism. The researchers also showed that people exhibit “flocking behavior” when it comes to things such as drinking, smoking and overeating. Sarah Monley argues that in the corporate environment good health can be contagious as well. A recent study by StayWell Health Management found that wellness champions can influence the outcomes of employee health management programs.  Susan Liautaud has researched on how unethical behavior is contagious within organizations and teams, within industries and sectors, and across sectors. Research by Falk and Ichino (2006), Mas and Moretti (2009), Bandiera et al. (2010), and De Grip and Sauermann (2012) present growing evidence that worker productivity may actually be quite contagious. Even the concept of entrepreneurship, a seemingly perfect example of bold individualism and do-it-yourself behavior, is being tested for its social network embeddedness: Linda Rottenberg and Chris Bierly argue that the best incubator for entrepreneurship occurs when entrepreneurs form close networks and nurture fellow risk-takers with their experience and resources.

Can the same be true for personal initiative? And if that is the case, how should an organization proceed to strengthen its culture of initiative?