Importance of relationship management for the career success of Australian managers

Abstract

The aim of the study was to derive and crossvalidate a model in which managers' quality of work-related relationships and networking behaviour were hypothesised to contribute to objective and subjective career success. Two hundred and seventy-three Australian managers from seven organisations took part in a questionnaire-based study. A validated model, demonstrating good fit of the data, showed that relationship quality contributed to subjective career success but showed no clear relationship with objective career success. Networking behaviour contributed directly to objective career success and indirectly to subjective career success, mediated by both relationship quality and social support.