Since O'Toole (1997) emphasized 'treating networking seriously', a number of researchers investigated effects of networking on organizations and meaningful findings have been accumulated ranging from performance (Meier and O'Toole, 2003; Walker and Andrews, 2013) to redtape (Torenvlied and Akkerman, 2012). Most findings consistently highlighted positive impacts of networking on organizations. However, only a few studies revealed negative impacts of networking. For instance, successful networking of rogue organization may produce negative impacts on the whole society (Raab and Milward, 2003). Also, networking captured by only a few privileged groups may do more harm than good for the whole stakeholders (O'Toole and Meier, 2004).
This research puts its attention to the negative side of networking -- redtape in networking. By definition, redtape is burdensome rules and regulations that drag administrative processes. In that sense, redtape may exist in networking as well. Basically one may network with others to obtain necessary resources which otherwise cannot by obtained. In that sense, one uses networking as a strategy to efficiently and effectively achieve his/her goals. However, what if one networks with others even if networking is not necessary? What if one is supposed to network with others even if networking with the the others are not good for him/her? This study defines redtape in networking as frequent but unnecessary networking. If one finds a high level of redtape in networking, his/her performance will be negatively affected because by devoting his/her time and energy toward unnecessary networking, he/she cannot handle other tasks.
To test if redtape in networking negatively influences one's performacne, this study uses data from public officials of the Seoul metropolitan government. To measure redtape in networking, officials were asked two types of networking questions- 1) with the given stakeholders ((1)superiors, (2)colleagues, (3)subordinates, (4)city council members, (5)central government officials, (6)interest groups) how often do you contact? 2) how would you rate the level of necessity of each contact with the given stakeholders? By comparing levels of necessity and frequency of contact with each of the given stakeholders, frequent but unnecessary networking will be measured as redtape in networking to investigate its negative impact in individual performance.
This study expects a few contribution to the existing literature. First, this study is the only one of its kind to investigate redtape in networking. Second, most research on networking has been conducted in the Western context, and this research focusing on the Asian context will invigorate comparative studies between the Western and Easter contexts.
Management and organizational performance in comparative perspective (PMRA-sponsored panel
