Never walk alone: achieving work performance through networking ability and autonomy
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between networking ability, autonomy and work performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The data, collected from a sample of 510 employees in a professional service firm, were analysed using regression analysis.
Findings
First, networking ability and autonomy are positively associated with in-role and extra-role performance. Second, the greater the job autonomy, the stronger the effect of networking ability on in-role performance.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the growing body of literature on demand for social and interpersonal skills in organisations. The authors combine the literature on work design with the literature on networking ability and complexity in employment relations. The authors’ findings show the importance of networking ability and autonomy for work performance, as well as pointing to factors such as age and work experience.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the research programme FOCUS (Future-oriented Corporate Solutions) at Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). The authors especially thank the professional service firm for providing us with access to conduct the survey, and the authors thank the employees for taking time to participate. The authors also thank seminar participants for valuable comments to previous versions of this work.
Citation
Nesheim, T., Olsen, K.M. and Sandvik, A.M. (2017), "Never walk alone: achieving work performance through networking ability and autonomy", Employee Relations, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 240-253. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-09-2016-0185
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited