Networking behaviors assist individuals in doing their jobs better and advancing their careers. However, most research emphasizes the effects of job characteristics on networking…
Abstract
Purpose
Networking behaviors assist individuals in doing their jobs better and advancing their careers. However, most research emphasizes the effects of job characteristics on networking behaviors, neglecting the effects of individual differences in goal orientations. Moreover, few studies investigate the prospective evaluation of promotability and the mediating effect of networking behavior on the relationship between goal orientation and promotability. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the nomological network and to expand the domain of networking behavior by identifying networking as career- and community-based networking behaviors and by examining the differential relationships among goal orientation, networking behaviors, and promotability.
Design/methodology/approach
This study surveyed and collected data from 160 financial employees and 103 supervisors working at branches of a large bank in Taiwan. Questionnaires addressing both networking behavior and goal orientation were distributed to employees, and one week later their supervisors were sent another survey about employees’ promotability evaluations.
Findings
Learning goal orientation was positively related to both career- and community-based networking behaviors. Performance goal orientation was also positively related to career-based networking behaviors, but negatively related to community-based networking behaviors. Career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, were found to be positively related to promotability. Results also show that career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, mediated the relationship between goal orientation and promotability.
Research limitations/implications
This study addresses the importance of distinguishing between networking behaviors as career based and networking behaviors as community based and shows that these two sets of networking behaviors arise from different goal orientations and have differential effects on supervisory evaluation of promotability.
Practical implications
By linking networking behavior with promotability, this study helps managers understand how employees’ enactment of specific networking behaviors can facilitate both the employees’ career development and the employees’ placement in important organizational positions.
Originality/value
This study fulfills an identified need to understand the nomological network of networking behavior.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to examine what kind of role social capital plays in the relationship between human capital and career outcomes, with a particular focus on testing the mediation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine what kind of role social capital plays in the relationship between human capital and career outcomes, with a particular focus on testing the mediation and moderation models.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data compiled from 111 employees at three financial institutions in Taiwan, social capital was measured by employees based on network in‐degree centrality, and development potential was measured by supervisors.
Findings
Results showed that the effects of human capital on developmental potential were fully mediated by social capital. Moreover, employees with firm‐specific human capital, managerial positions and longer tenure, received higher potential evaluations by their supervisors through their central positions.
Research limitations/implications
The study shed light on the direct and significant effects of social capital on developmental potential, while human capital should translate into social capital to get positive career outcomes. That is, it is social capital that transforms human capital into workplace gains, e.g. producing positive career outcomes and increasing supervisors' perception of potential.
Practical implications
Employees should make best use of social capital transformed from human capital to obtain positive career outcomes in the organizations.
Originality/value
Support for the authors' mediation model suggests that both social capital and careers literature can be enhanced though integration. It follows that future research on career outcomes would benefit from the inclusion of social capital variables.
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Keywords
Virginia Bodolica and Martin Spraggon
One of the most discernible initiatives of entrepreneurial universities constitutes the launch of innovation centers, where students and alumni can incubate their business ideas…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the most discernible initiatives of entrepreneurial universities constitutes the launch of innovation centers, where students and alumni can incubate their business ideas and collaborate on innovative projects with the purpose of converting them into start-up ventures. While incubators and accelerators are quintessential in Western academic contexts, educational institutions in emerging economies are lagging behind in the preparation of future-ready business leaders via the establishment of hubs that stimulate entrepreneurial intention and diffusion of innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
In this conceptual paper, the authors seek to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial education ecosystems in less advanced regions of the world through the activation of university-based centers of innovation. The authors rely on a general review of the specialized literature to identify best practice insights pertaining to curriculum design and draw on the combined expertise of the authors’ research team in delivering entrepreneurship and innovation (under)graduate courses and executive education programs in emerging countries.
Findings
The authors conceptualize the mission, vision and curriculum of an innovation hub that can be adopted by any institution of higher education from transitional and emerging market settings to build powerful entrepreneurial mindsets in the future generation of innovative leaders. The proposed innovation hub curriculum incorporates a number of practically relevant and learning boosting activities, including the “So, You Think You Can Innovate?” competition, networking events and guest speakers and training seminars and workshops.
Originality/value
To keep up with changing industry dynamics and secure the relevance of their programs, institutions of higher education in emerging economies need to embrace entrepreneurial models of instruction. They ought to allocate temporal, physical and mental spaces and infrastructure to students to facilitate the generation of innovative concepts and encourage them toward commercialization.