Employee networking behavior theorizing based on the grounded theory analysis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Lorestan University.

2 student of lorestan univercity

Abstract

Networking is a tool for professional development that allows people to invest in their social skills. By creating, nurturing, and using informal relationships, people try to get help at work or career advancement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to design a model of employees networking behavior at Lorestan University. This study is a qualitative research based on grounded theory analysis. 18 interviews were conducted with the employees of Lorestan University. The result of these interviews was a series of initial themes that were collected and extracted during the open coding process. Then in the axial coding stage, the link between these categories was as follows: Causal conditions, axial phenomenon, Strategies, contextual factors, intervening conditions, and consequences of employee networking behavior were determined in the context of a central coding paradigm; the storytelling process was then drawn in selective coding phase. The results showed that the causal factors of employee networking behavior were: emotional and social needs, material needs, the need to gain power, information needs and the need for job security. Strategies related to people's networking behavior include three types of individual, managerial, and organizational actions. Inappropriate formal communication, organizational structural features, interactions between individuals, organizational welfare programs, and network characteristics (group) were identified as intervening factors and specific individual characteristics, job characteristics, and Normative - cultural characteristics were the contextual factors of this phenomenon. Improving organizational structure, the individual employee actions effectiveness, facilitating and controlling management decisions and activities, enhancing organizational effectiveness and efficiency, improving organizational commitment, hindering organizational decisions and actions and increasing organizational conflicts resulted from networking behavior.

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References

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Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly
Volume 9, Issue 4 - Serial Number 36
December 2020
Pages 194-223

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