Lay theories of networking: How laypeople's beliefs about networks affect their attitudes toward and engagement in instrumental networking

Ko Kuwabara, Claudius A. Hildebrand, Xi Zou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

There is growing evidence of a "knowing-doing gap" in networking: many people feel conflicted or ambivalent about engaging in instrumental networking, even while recognizing the importance of being well-connected. Here we turn to an important piece of the puzzle that has been undertheorized: laypeople's beliefs about the nature of networks. Borrowing from the literature on lay theories in motivational psychology, we examine the effects of how laypeople construe different components of networks-individuals and their social intelligence, social relations, and social capital-as relatively fixed or malleable. We explain how each belief affects people's attitudes toward both the utility and morality of networking, with consequences for their engagement in different forms of networking (searching for new ties, maintaining existing ties, and leveraging social capital). We also consider these beliefs' downstream consequences for the size, diversity, and cohesiveness of networks people build. Overall, by examining the role of domain-specific beliefs and attitudes that undermine people's motivation to network, our model departs from existing views of networking based on rationality, personality, and perception to shed new light on the motivational psychology of networking.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)50-64
Number of pages15
JournalAcademy of Management Review
Volume43
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Academy of Management Review.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Business, Management and Accounting
  • Strategy and Management
  • Management of Technology and Innovation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Lay theories of networking: How laypeople's beliefs about networks affect their attitudes toward and engagement in instrumental networking'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this