The link between networking behaviours and work outcomes: the role of political skills

PurposeNetworking behaviours are important for a range of work outcomes. Little empirical evidence of how internal vs external networking behaviours influence job commitment and job performance exists and whether political skills moderate these relationships. Using theories of social capital and personal initiative, this study examines the effect of internal and external networking behaviours on job commitment and job performance in the context of political skills.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sequential mixed-method research design with a four-month time lag, Study 1 data on networking behaviours, political skills and work outcomes were collected via a survey of middle managers and their supervisors from ten private sector organisations operating in Sri Lanka. Study 2 data were collected via interviews of a set of middle managers and their supervisors.FindingsStudy 1 findings indicate a positive relationship between internal networking behaviours and both job commitment and job performance. The authors also found a moderating effect of political skills on internal networking behaviours and job commitment. Study 2 findings explained, strengthened and extended results of Study 1.Practical implicationsMiddle managers can use these research findings to understand how internal networking behaviours improve their job commitment and job performance. These managers can use their political skills and internal networking behaviours to improve their job commitment. They can also advance their career through improved job commitment and job performance. Senior managers and human resource managers should facilitate and encourage internal networking behaviours. Training and development managers should develop middle managers' networking behaviours and political skills.Originality/valueThis study provides pioneering evidence of how internal networking behaviours impact middle managers' job performance and job commitment, and how internal networking behaviours improve job commitment for middle managers with high political skills.

Why Does Psychological Capital Foster Subjective and Objective Career Success? The Mediating Role of Career-Specific Resources

The present study investigates the relationship of PsyCap with objective and subjective career success. Based on conservation of resources theory (COR Theory) and psychological capital theory (PsyCap Theory), we assume that career-specific resources, in particular protean career attitude, career planning, and internal and external networking, are important mechanisms that mediate the relationship between PsyCap and both outcomes. We tested our assumptions by means of time-lagged path analysis with R and the lavaan package in a sample of 1110 German academic scientists. Our results indicate a positive relationship between PsyCap and career success. However, we found differential effects regarding the assumed mediation for subjective and objective career success. The effect of PsyCap on subjective career success is mediated by protean career attitude and career planning. The effect of PsyCap on objective career success is mediated by external networking. Our results strengthen the research of PsyCap as a predictor of career success. However, the results also imply that the relationship between PsyCap, career-specific resources, and both aspects of career success is more complex than expected.

Network reliance and entrepreneurial performance, the role of external networking behaviour and entrepreneurial orientation: the case of rural farmer-entrepreneurs

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to specifically look at the relationship between reliable network reliance and entrepreneurial performance.Design/methodology/approachTo help achieve the study objective, 450 rural farmer-entrepreneurs from Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangxi and Zhejiang Provinces were randomly selected. The study concentrated mainly on entrepreneurs who have engaged in entrepreneurial activities the past five or more years.FindingsThis study’s findings show that network reliance has direct and indirect effects on entrepreneurial performance through external networking behaviour. The result further shows that external networking behaviour partially mediates the relationship between network reliance and entrepreneurial performance. On the moderation effect on entrepreneurial orientation (EO), the result reveals that it strengthens the relationship between external networking behaviour and entrepreneurial performance. The result shows that EO has a direct effect on entrepreneurial performance. The paper introduces behavioural component of network to entrepreneurial performance. The study concludes that external networking behaviour of entrepreneurs is key in entrepreneurship as it improves relationships among actors and thereby translating into an improved performance.Originality/valueThe paper brings to light the need to reconsider extension education by including elements of networking to enable rural entrepreneurs derive full benefits of their entrepreneurial ventures.

The Effect of Emotional and Cultural Intelligences on Networks’ Behaviors in International SMEs: Evidence from Portugal

The major purpose of this research was to study the predictive value of the top managers’ psychological characteristics regarding their networking behavior. In the international business management context of small- and medium-sized enterprises, we took the top managers’ cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence as determinant capabilities to perform better in their external networking. The sample was composed of 307 Portuguese SMEs’ international decision-makers, specifically founders, owners, chief executive officers (CEOs), managers of international activities, international market managers, or commercial managers. The data was collected from 2–30 April 2019 through online surveys directed to the Portuguese decision-makers that were directly responsible for the firms’ international activities. As a data collection instrument, the surveys were pretested and sent by e-mail. The average age of the participants was approximately 50 years old for males and 45 years old for females. We used self-reported measures to assess the different constructs and the hierarchical regression analysis to test our hypotheses. The results showed that cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence were significant drivers of decision-makers’ external networking behavior. A new factor structure concerning external networking behavior was retained. The major results exhibited the predictive value of some cultural and emotional intelligence dimensions over the new retained external networking behavior factors. Therefore, in the international business management context, the capability to adapt to new cultural contexts, as well as the capability to reason about emotions, improved the international decision-makers’ external networking behavior.

Who networks? – A meta-analysis of networking and personality

PurposeNetworking refers to goal-directed behaviors focused on building and cultivating informal relationships to obtain career-related resources. According to Gibson et al.'s (2014) model, personality traits represent prominent and important antecedents of networking. This study seeks to provide robust evidence on relationships between personality and networking by summarizing prior research using meta-analytical tools.Design/methodology/approachThe authors classify linking attributes between networking and personality into social, idea-related, task-related and affective behavioral domains and additionally include three compound traits that relate to several domains. They investigate two potential moderators: internal vs. external networking and prominent networking measures. Their comprehensive literature search identified 41 studies with 46 independent samples.FindingsThe authors find that social, idea-related and task-related traits have positive relationships with networking of medium effect size, whereas affective traits exhibit small but significantly positive effects. The compound trait of proactive personality appears to be the best predictor of networking. Moderator analyses indicate that there were hardly any differences concerning internal and external networking and also prominent measures.Originality/valueThe present study goes beyond narrative reviews contributing the first quantitative summary of these relationships. It identifies four behavioral domains that represent characteristics relevant to networking. The findings largely corroborate, but at times correct, narrative reviews on dispositional antecedents of networking. The authors highlight the importance of compound traits that have yet been overlooked by narrative reviews (e.g. self-monitoring).

Networking and creativity: Entrepreneurial teams in high-technology startup enterprises in China

Using cross-case analysis with a survey of a large sample drawn from recently established high-technology entrepreneurial teams in China, we explored the interaction mechanism effect of the teams' internal and external networking behavior on their creativity. Results showed that external networking behavior (such as maintaining business connections, expanding external social interaction, and participating in external professional activities) and internal networking behavior (such as increasing internal transparency) generate a positive influence on entrepreneurial teams' creativity. Further, this influence is boosted by an interactive effect between the external and internal networking behavior of the entrepreneurial teams. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Developing and Validating a Short Networking Behavior Scale (SNBS) From Wolff and Moser’s (2006) Measure

Networking refers to building, maintaining, and using informal contacts to attain work or career resources. Although several measures exist, we are not aware of any short measure that reaches conventional standards and captures the breadth and multiple dimensions of the construct. To enable a brief and at the same time broad assessment of networking behaviors, this study reports the development and validation of a short version (the Short Networking Behavior Scale) of Wolff and Moser’s (2006) 44-item networking behavior scale. We examine the measurement properties of the derived 18-item version in two studies using three samples. Confirmatory factor analyses show that a correlated six-factor model with two higher order factors of internal and external networking fits the data well. We provide evidence for construct and criterion-oriented validity, showing that the internal and external networking scales exhibit meaningful correlational patterns with personality, career, and social network variables but only small and mostly nonsignificant correlations with measures of job or task characteristics.

What Makes Neighborhood Associations Effective in Urban Governance? Evidence From Neighborhood Council Boards in Los Angeles

This study examines the perceived effectiveness of neighborhood councils (NCs) in Los Angeles, a government-sanctioned and financed institutional innovation in urban governance. The study considers NC boards as a dynamic and open social system that interacts with NCs’ internal and external environment. We propose that three factors—internal capacity, external networking, and attention-action congruence—are related to perceived NC effectiveness. The findings from a questionnaire survey of 80 NCs show that NC leaders perceive their organizations to be moderately effective. While internal capacity contributes to all three dimensions of effectiveness, external networking enhances NCs’ effectiveness in solving community issues and advising about city policies. Attention-action congruence, which examines the correspondence between NC board members’ issue orientation and actual actions, is positively related to NCs’ effectiveness in advising about city policies. The study concludes with considerations for enhancing the effectiveness of neighborhood associations.