Abstract
Networking is a life skill and it is in managers’ interest to acknowledge its importance and develop their own networking skills. This article reports on networking practices in Gauteng businesses. The empirical study consisted of an exploratory, sequential mixed-method research design, which included five focus group discussions (n = 41) to investigate the content of the networks and a structured questionnaire aimed at analysing the perceptions and experiences of business owners and managers in Gauteng Province in South Africa on the structure of their networks. The participants considered networking important to business success and stated that they would have benefited from training on building relationships, earlier on in their careers. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educators at all levels, managers and policy makers focus on networking as part of management training.
Highlights
What is a network? A network consists of a set of nodes and ties (Brass, Galaskiewicz, Greve & Tsai, 2004: 795)
A combination of these methods may lead to a better understanding and theory generation of networking amongst business people in South Africa
The following verbal quotations demonstrate this idea: “Networking is not always a conscious decision it sometimes happen, 70% of the time, subconsciously
Summary
A network consists of a set of nodes (for instance, organisations, individual, work unit) and ties (relationship) (Brass, Galaskiewicz, Greve & Tsai, 2004: 795). Networking has been described as a psychological need to connect, socialise and work with others (Van Winkelen, 2003). Networking relationships offer support and comfort (Boe, 1994: 9) that can increase one’s own value and in turn attract other people to your network (Taylor, 2006: 6, 9). Kay (2004: 166), Taylor (2006: 5) and Boe (1994: 8) mention that certain people appear to be born with the instinct for building and the natural ability to build the appropriate connections and relationships. Different personality types appear to apply their personality traits, such as temperament, cognition and choice of interaction (Miller, 2003: 419), with unique style and application to business networking (Nierenberg, 2005a: 3)
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