“I’ve Never Been Good at It and I Don’t Care for It”: Faculty Networking Perceptions and Behaviors

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Faculty Community and Climate

Abstract

People rely on networks of relationships to exchange resources and advance their careers. For some faculty members, the term networking conjures up notions of disingenuous behavior antithetical to their approaches to cultivating relationships. The tension between networks generating both barriers and access to academic career success remains unresolved. In particular, research is needed to better understand the sometimes-contradictory relationship between the role of networks and notions of collegiality in the academy. Based on data from surveys and interviews of 21 faculty members in two departments, this paper explores faculty members’ networking behaviors and perceptions. Findings suggest that faculty members’ perceptions of networking do not always align with their behaviors, and that both may have critical outcomes for academic careers.

Author

• Meghan Pifer, Widener University