The dark and bright side of networking behavior: Three studies on short-term processes of networking behavior

While the literature generally shows that networking behavior leads to long-term outcomes, such as career success, scholars have recently lamented our lack of knowledge on short-term mechanisms and processes of networking (Wanberg et al., 2020). This paper adopts this call and focuses on how people experience networking and its immediate, short-term consequences. We build upon conservation of resources theory to develop and test a model of networking behavior and its immediate costs and benefits. Drawing from data of two experimental laboratory studies and a field study of networking events, we find that networking behavior simultaneously depletes cognitive resources (self-control) and generates affective resources (positive affect). We also show that impression management mediates the relationship between networking behavior and self-control depletion, whereas extraversion serves as a buffer, such that introverts experience higher self-control depletion from networking. We conclude that immediate experiences from networking have both a bright and a dark side, leaving people ‘happy, but depleted’ and contribute to a more balanced discussion of networking behavior among scholars and practitioners. •This paper sheds light on how people experience networking and its short-term consequences.•These include resource drain and gain, as networking drains self-regulatory resources and increases positive affect.•Two experiments provide strong causal evidence, a field study shows that findings generalize to real networking events.•Networking drains self-regulatory resources, because it requires impression management.•Introverts may not network because they experience a more negative cost-benefit ratio.