Teaching networking: an interpersonal communication competence perspective

Abstract

Modern working life calls for competences that enable people to be creative, innovative and effective. Studies looking at contemporary enterprises and organisations such as businesses and schools have shown that many of the qualifications that graduating students would need, including informal learning (see Gielen, Hoeve & Nieuwenhuis 2003), innovativeness (e.g. Moolenaar & Sleegers 2010; Obstfeld 2005) and creativity (e.g. Burt 2004; Perry-Smith & Shalley 2003), are associated with interpersonal relationships and social networks. According to a report on the national career survey (EK 2011a), effective networking is dependent on social skills such as the ability to establish contacts in multicultural environments, the ability to discuss with others, understanding the perspectives of others and listening skills. For speech communication teachers and researchers, those skills listed above are communication skills, and more precisely, interpersonal communication skills. In this article, social networks are perceived from a perspective of interpersonal communication and networking is viewed as interpersonal communication competence. To date, the talents, characteristics and skills which people need when networking have not been consistently described from the perspective of interpersonal communication competence. Because it is possible to enhance this competence, we argue that networking is something that students could, and should, learn at the higher education level.