How do employees build and maintain relationships with leaders? Development and validation of the workplace upward networking scale

Abstract

The importance of social networking helping employees achieve career success is widely recognized. However, there is limited discussion regarding employees' subtle networking behaviors with leaders and their impact. With this paper we contribute to this oversight by conceptualizing workplace upward networking (WUN) and by developing and validating a new scale that assesses the extent to which employees build and maintain relationships with leaders in pursuit of resources. Using 10 samples (N = 1597), the results provide strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the WUN scale, and support the nomological network of the WUN construct. Our work contributes to social networking research by demonstrating the theoretical uniqueness of WUN versus similar constructs, such as workplace peer networking and impression management, as well as the underlying mechanisms by which WUN affects work outcomes. Overall, with this study we offer support for the reliability and validity of WUN scale and advance the burgeoning node-specific networking literature both conceptually and empirically.