Networking: External Communication Systems For Female Organizational Members

Abstract

As more women reach middle and top level management positions in organizations, they have begun to recognize the importance of professional contacts. This study examines a professional womens' network in order to identify types of communication behavior exhibited by network members and psychological gender types of active networkers. The Spence and Helmrick androngy scale was administered to identify high masculine, high feminine, and high androgynous network members. A survey instrument assessed the type and amount of networking behavior exhibited. High mas culine individuals indicated most often that they were making contacts outside their professional network and androgynous individuals indicated they were making more frequent contacts per week than other psychologi cal types.