Carter Gibson

Understanding the role of networking in organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize research and theory on the definition, antecedents, outcomes, and mechanisms of networking in organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Descriptions of networking are reviewed and an integrated definition of networking in organizations is presented. Approaches for measuring and studying networking are considered and the similarities and differences of networking with related constructs are discussed. A theoretical model of the antecedents and outcomes of networking is presented with the goal of integrating existing networking research. Mechanisms through which networking leads to individual and organizational outcomes are also considered. Findings – Networking is defined as goal-directed behavior which occurs both inside and outside of an organization, focussed on creating, cultivating, and utilizing interpersonal relationships. The current model proposes that networking is influenced by a variety of individual, job, and organizational level factors and leads to increased visibility and power, job performance, organizational access to strategic information, and career success. Access to information and social capital are proposed as mechanisms that facilitate the effects of networking on outcomes. Originality/value – Networking is held to be of great professional value for ambitious individuals and organizations. However, much of the research on networking has been spread across various disciplines. Consequentially, consensus on many important topics regarding networking remains notably elusive. This paper reviews and integrates existing research on networking in organizations and proposes directions for future study. A comprehensive definition and model of networking is presented and suggestions to researchers are provided.

Researcher Perspectives on Conflicts of Interest: A Qualitative Analysis of Views from Academia

The increasing interconnectedness of academic research and external industry has left research vulnerable to conflicts of interest. These conflicts have the potential to undermine the integrity of scientific research as well as to threaten public trust in scientific findings. The present effort sought to identify themes in the perspectives of faculty researchers regarding conflicts of interest. Think-aloud interview responses were qualitatively analyzed in an effort to provide insights with regard to appropriate ways to address the threat of conflicts of interest in research. Themes in participant responses included disclosure of conflicts of interest, self-removal from situations where conflict exists, accommodation of conflict, denial of the existence of conflict, and recognition of complexity of situations involving conflicts of interest. Moral disengagement operations are suggested to explain the appearance of each identified theme. In addition, suggestions for best practices regarding addressing conflicts of interest given these themes in faculty perspectives are provided.

Researcher perceptions of ethical guidelines and codes of conduct.

Ethical codes of conduct exist in almost every profession. Field-specific codes of conduct have been around for decades, each articulating specific ethical and professional guidelines. However, there has been little empirical research on researchers’ perceptions of these codes of conduct. In the present study, we interviewed faculty members in six research disciplines and identified five themes bearing on the circumstances under which they use ethical guidelines and the underlying reasons for not adhering to such guidelines. We then identify problems with the manner in which codes of conduct in academia are constructed and offer solutions for overcoming these problems.

The Influence of Compensatory Strategies on Ethical Decision Making

Ethical decision making is of concern to researchers across all fields. However, researchers typically focus on the biases that may act to undermine ethical decision making. Taking a new approach, this study focused on identifying the most common compensatory strategies that counteract those biases. These strategies were identified using a series of interviews with university researchers in a variety of areas, including biological, physical, social, and health as well as scholarship and the performing arts. Interview transcripts were assessed with two scoring procedures, an expert rating system and computer-assisted qualitative analysis. Although the expert rating system identified Understanding Guidelines, Recognition of Insufficient Information, and Recognizing Boundaries as the most frequently used compensatory strategies across fields, other strategies, Striving for Transparency, Value/Norm Assessment, and Following Appropriate Role Models, were identified as most common by the computer-assisted qualitative analyses. Potential reasons for these findings and implications for training and practice are identified and discussed.

Developing Leadership for Creative Efforts A Preface

Effective leader performance is critical to the success of creative efforts. Although, in recent years, the importance of leadership to creative efforts has begun to be recognized, little work has been done examining how organizations should develop people to lead these efforts. The present issue of Advances in Developing Human Resources presents a number of techniques that might be used to develop those who will be asked to lead creative efforts. The implications of these observations for HRD professionals in developing the leaders of creative efforts are discussed.

A Qualitative Analysis of Power Differentials in Ethical Situations in Academia

Power and organizational hierarchies are ubiquitous to social institutions that form the foundation of modern society. Power differentials may act to constrain or enhance people’s ability to make good ethical decisions. However, little scholarly work has examined perceptions of this important topic. The present effort seeks to address this issue by interviewing academics about hypothetical ethical problems that involve power differences among those involved. Academics discussed what they would do in these scenarios, often drawing on their own experiences. Using a think-aloud protocol, participants were prompted to discuss their reasoning and thinking behind their ethical decisions. These interview data were content analyzed using a semantic analysis program that identified a number of distinct ways that academics think about power differences and abuses in ethical situations. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Are applicants more likely to quit longer assessments? Examining the effect of assessment length on applicant attrition behavior.

Conventional wisdom suggests that assessment length is positively related to the rate at which applicants opt out of the assessment phase. However, restricting assessment length can negatively impact the utility of a selection system by reducing the reliability of its construct scores and constraining coverage of the relevant criterion domain. Given the costly nature of these tradeoffs, is it better for managers to prioritize (a) shortening assessments to reduce applicant attrition rates or (b) ensuring optimal reliability and validity of their assessment scores? In the present study, we use data from 222,772 job-seekers nested within 69 selection systems to challenge the popular notion that selection system length predicts applicant attrition behavior. Specifically, we argue that the majority of applicant attrition occurs very early in the assessment phase and that attrition risk decreases, not increases, as a function of time spent in assessment. Our findings supported these predictions, revealing that the majority of applicants who quit assessments did so within the first 20 min of the assessment phase. Consequently, selection system length did not predict rates of applicant attrition. In fact, when controlling for observed system length and various job characteristics, we found that systems providing more conservative (i.e., longer) estimates of assessment length produced lower overall attrition rates. Collectively, these findings suggest that efforts to curtail applicant attrition by shortening assessment length may be misguided.

Leadership Models for Team Dynamics and Cohesion: The Mars Mission

Abstract In this chapter, we view team cohesion from a more generalized perspective of team dynamics, and focus on four leadership models for understanding these dynamics in teams in the context of the Mars Mission. Given the long duration of the mission with periods of no or intermittent communication and support, isolation and confinement, and the risk of great physical and psychological harm, having tailored leadership models for this unique team dynamics context is critical. And yet, many of these same dangerous conditions occur in other contexts such as for first responders, crisis management teams, Special Forces operations, and scientific exploration teams in extreme environments. As such, building from a model of leadership and team dynamics for dangerous contexts, for a long-duration space mission involving both Mission Control and the Astronaut Crew, these models of leadership and team dynamics include a collective-level approach for scientists and engineers, a primarily crew-based socioemotional approach, a leader-level crisis/emergency approach, and a dyadic or sortie-level approach. Implications of these models for effective leadership in building and maintaining team dynamics and cohesion for the Mars Mission and across a variety of other dangerous and extreme contexts are discussed.

Looking back: A quantitative review of the Journal of Management History, 1995-1999

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the early direction and maturation of the Journal of Management History (JOMH), evaluate the lasting impact of this primary work and identify implications of findings of this paper for future developments in the study of management history. This article provides a review of the first five years (1995-1999) of the JOMH. Design/methodology/approach – Articles published in the JOMH between the years of 1995 and 1999 were reviewed, and unifying thematic categories were developed. Two independent raters, then, sorted the articles into their respective categories. After agreement was established, general trends in the JOMH’s early direction and focus were considered. Lasting impact was evaluated using citations in Google Scholar by category and year. Similarities among the most cited articles during this period are discussed. Findings – The early years of the JOMH were characterized by shifts in contributions from various management and public administration perspectives, a transition from an early emphasis on historical individuals to a broader focus on topics and ideas and a balance between describing historical accounts (i.e. retelling or recording historical events and individuals) and historical analysis (i.e. considering the influence of historical events and ideas on future events and modern perspectives). The most influential early contributions to the JOMH were articles that focused on the histories of specific management concepts, an approach that is still important and relevant today. Originality/value – This review provides insights into the development and maturation of the JOMH following its formation.

Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking?: The Influence of Leader Style, Distance, and Leader–Follower Mental Model Congruence on Creative Performance:

Leaders have been classified as having charismatic, ideological, or pragmatic (CIP) leadership styles, each characterized by distinct patterns in cognition and interaction. Although each CIP style has been shown to facilitate certain aspects of the creative process for followers, questions remain regarding the impact of leadership style on overall follower creative performance. One factor likely to influence this relationship is leader distance, composed of the physical distance, perceived social distance, and perceived task interaction among leaders and followers. Past research has also emphasized the role of leaders’ mental models as they relate to follower performance. Less understood, however, is how the mental models of followers may affect this process. Using the CIP model of leadership, this study explores leader distance and leader–follower mental model congruence on follower creative performance. Results indicated that while leadership style does not directly influence follower creativity, it interacts with leader distance to shape creative outcomes. Results further indicated that while general mental model congruence is not predictive, alignment on specific mental model dimensions contributes to enhanced creative performance among followers. Implications and future research directions are discussed.