Hans-Georg Wolff

Effects of networking on career success: a longitudinal study.

Previous research has reported effects of networking, defined as building, maintaining, and using relationships, on career success. However, empirical studies have relied exclusively on concurrent or retrospective designs that rest upon strong assumptions about the causal direction of this relation and depict a static snapshot of the relation at a given point in time. This study provides a dynamic perspective on the effects of networking on career success and reports results of a longitudinal study. Networking was assessed with 6 subscales that resulted from combining measures of the facets of (a) internal versus external networking and (b) building versus maintaining versus using contacts. Objective (salary) and subjective (career satisfaction) measures of career success were obtained for 3 consecutive years. Multilevel analyses showed that networking is related to concurrent salary and that it is related to the growth rate of salary over time. Networking is also related to concurrent career satisfaction. As satisfaction remained stable over time, no effects of networking on the growth of career satisfaction were found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring item and higher order factor structure with the Schmid-Leiman solution: Syntax codes for SPSS and SAS

To ease the interpretation of higher order factor analysis, the direct relationships between variables and higher order factors may be calculated by the Schmid-Leiman solution (SLS; Schmid & Leiman, 1957). This simple transformation of higher order factor analysis orthogonalizes first-order and higher order factors and thereby allows the interpretation of the relative impact of factor levels on variables. The Schmid-Leiman solution may also be used to facilitate theorizing and scale development. The rationale for the procedure is presented, supplemented by syntax codes for SPSS and SAS, since the transformation is not part of most statistical programs. Syntax codes may also be downloaded from www.psychonomic.org/archive/.

The relationship between networking behaviors and the Big Five personality dimensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest a comprehensive framework to elucidate the relationship between personality and networking. Using the Five Factor Model as a framework, the paper aims to argue that traits tapping into social (i.e. extraversion, agreeableness) and informational (i.e. openness to experience) features are relevant in explaining how individual dispositions facilitate networking behaviors. Moreover, it aims to delineate structural and functional differences in networking (i.e. building, maintaining, and using contacts within and outside the organization) and to theorize how these differences yield differential relationships of personality traits with networking dimensions.Design/methodology/approach – Online surveys were administered to two samples, from Germany and the UK, respectively (n=351). Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Personality traits reflecting social (extraversion) and informational aspects (openness to experience) are broadl...

Lotteries as Incentives in Longitudinal Web Studies

A longitudinal experiment examined the influence of a lottery of gift certificates on response and retention in a four-wave study conducted in an online panel. Independent of the lottery, people who responded in a given wave were more likely to respond in the next wave. This process was characterized to follow a first-order Markov chain. There was a direct positive effect of the lottery on response only at the first wave of the study. However, mediated by the Markov process, the positive effect of the lottery on response at the first wave was carried over into later waves. The lottery did not have any effect on retention. Furthermore, it was found that retention at a given wave is a reliable predictor for response at the next wave. This information could be used by survey managers to diagnose and act on any impending nonresponse.

Individual payments as a longer-term incentive in online panels.

Does it pay to pay online panel members? A three-wave longitudinal experiment was conducted with an online panel to examine whether per person payments, paid through an online intermediary, influence response and retention rates. In the payment condition, participants were promised payment for participation at each wave, whereas control participants were not offered any payment. The promise of a payment had a negative effect on response in Wave 1, but a positive effect on response in Wave 2. Payment had no significant effect on retention. Completing a given wave was an indicator for responding to a subsequent invitation.

Entwicklung und Validierung einer Networkingskala

Zusammenfassung. Networking umschreibt ein Syndrom von Verhaltensweisen, die Personen zu Aufbau, Pflege und Nutzung sozialer Beziehungen im beruflichen Kontext zeigen. Die Relevanz des Konstrukts beruht auf dem vermuteten positiven Einfluss, den Networking auf den beruflichen Erfolg ausubt. In diesem Beitrag wird auf der Basis der psychologischen Literatur zu Networking und der soziologischen Literatur zu sozialem Kapital eine Networkingskala entwickelt und in insgesamt drei Studien werden Struktur und Validitat der Skala gepruft. Die Ergebnisse von multidimensionaler Skalierung (Studie 1) und konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalyse (Studie 2) bestatigen die postulierte Binnendifferenzierung von Networking durch zwei Facetten, 1) internes vs. externes Networking sowie 2) Aufbau vs. Pflege vs. Nutzung von Kontakten. Durch die Kreuzung der Facetten entstehen sechs Subskalen, die sich zu einer Gesamtskala zusammenfassen lassen. Fur die Skala ergeben sich diskriminante Zusammenhange mit Masen, die Grose und Constra...

Construction and factorial structure of a short version of the Trendsetting Questionnaire (TDS-K): A cross-validation using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses.

This paper reports the development of a short version of the trendsetting questionnaire (TDS; Batinic, Haupt, & Wieselhuber, 2006). According to Batinic et al., individuals high on trendsetting keep an eye open for new trends and have a broad interest in innovations. They inform a wide range of others and explain to them the value of innovations, and they recommend specific products to friends and acquaintances. Empirical criteria as well as substantive criteria were used to select nine items representing the three subtypes of the trendsetting model: input, throughput, and output. Dimensionality and measurement invariance of the short version (TDS-K) were examined in two offline surveys (N = 2,001 and 948) and two online surveys (N = 4,450 and 12,087). Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses supported the unidimensionality of the measure and showed that measurement invariance held within each of the administration methods (offline vs. online survey), but only partial invariance held across these methods.

Choice, Accountability, and Effortful Processing in Escalation Situations

Many studies on escalation of commitment observe only a single decision following negative feedback, although theoretical approaches to escalation behavior depict escalation as a progression over time. The present paper builds on Brockner and Rubin’s (1985) “tunnel vision” account that suggests a distinction between early and late stages of the escalation process. We used a dynamic paradigm, observing repeated decisions following negative feedback and manipulated choice and accountability in order to examine effects of justification on the progression of escalation behavior. Furthermore, reading times are used as a measure of effortful processing to investigate the mediating cognitive processes that lead to escalation behavior. Results show that the combination of choice with accountability leads to escalation behavior at later stages of the escalation process and that effortful processing mediates this interaction of choice, accountability, and escalation behavior.

Internal and external networking behavior

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships of internal and external networking behaviors of managers and professionals with their affective, continuance, and normative commitment. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from 335 managers and professionals of a health system who completed a survey on networking behavior and organizational commitment. Correlation analyses and multiple regressions were performed to test our hypotheses. Findings – The results showed that networking behavior focussed within an individuals organization was positively related with affective commitment and normative commitment. Networking with individuals outside of an individuals organization showed a significant negative relationship with normative commitment. Contrary to expectations, networking externally was not related to affective commitment, and neither internal nor external networking behaviors were related to continuance commitment. Research limitations/implications – Because data wer...

Persönlichkeit und Networking: Eine Analyse mittels Interpersonalem Circumplex

Zusammenfassung. Wahrend mehrere Studien den positiven Effekt von Networkingverhalten, d. h. Aufbau, Pflege und Nutzung von beruflichen Kontakten, auf die Karriere belegen, existieren nur wenige Studien, die interindividuelle Unterschiede als Determinanten von Networkingverhalten untersuchen. Da Networking genuin soziales Verhalten darstellt, bietet sich zur Untersuchung dieser Fragestellung der Interpersonale Circumplex von Wiggins (z. B. Wiggins, Trapnell & Phillips, 1988) an, der acht Facetten interpersonalen Verhaltens auf einer sozialen Dominanzdimension und einer emotionalen Affiliationsdimension abbildet. In einer Fragebogenstudie mit N = 213 Berufstatigen zeigt sich, dass Networking signifikant positive Zusammenhange sowohl mit der Dominanzdimension als auch mit der Affiliationsdimension aufweist. Zusatzlich zeigt eine differenzierte Betrachtung von Networkingsubskalen, dass externes (vs. internes) Networking sowie der Aufbau (vs. die Pflege und Nutzung) von Kontakten starkere Zusammenhange mit Do...