According to the network theory of social capital, to gain competitive advantages actors build relationships across structural holes. But how does this process occur? This research is embedded in the fields of social networks and organizational change. The relationship between structural holes and encroaching processes, which is a particular type of organizational change dealing with interdependency, is explored. We propose the idea that encroaching processes provide an explanation for how structural holes are bridged in social networks. The analysis presents an example of the workings of this mechanism in the context of management of an extreme situation. This illustration captures the behavior of an actor building bridge relationships across structural holes. Contributions are a better understanding of structural holes, organizational change, and competition between actors.
