The Role of Social Network Ties and Relationships During the Internship Assignment
Phil GardnerMichigan State UniversityPortions previously presented at
WACE’s 10th International SymposiumUniversity West
Trollhattan, Sweden
Overview• Experience --- the gatekeeper to labor market• More is better --- in larger chunks• Focus on boundary spanning skills &
competencies
Challenge• The “First Job”• New Demographics:
– Passing Time– Pedigree– Entrepreneurers
• Employability: Teichler – University of Kassel– Do not know what fosters employability skills– Lag effects are likely
• New Professional: Expand Inquiry– Refocus on emerging domains– Experienced required but how much
The Real Question of Inquiry• How does the growth of social capital during the
internship or co-op:– Contribute to successful transition to workplace– Foundation for early career success
• First step:– Focus on the role of social capital during the
internship assignment
• Task Mastery• Social Integration• Team Integration• Learning (broad)• Social Capital– Weak Ties: Career network – Strong Ties: Supervisor, Mentor, Known in organization
Starting Points: Newcomer and Early Socialization Theories
Basic ModelSI
TI
LI
CN
KO
SPI
M
SPE
Mastery
Satisfaction
Study Parameters
• Sample• Large Convenience sample drawn from over 200 US
schools – current college students• Administration
• One time solicitation through Career Services• Partner – so question space limited
Study Parameters
• Sample Characteristics• 8,900 with 80% in internships• 65% Women• 73% Caucasian• 20% Business• 62% GPA 3.35 or higher• 62% Family Income $80,000 or less
Basic Measures
• Social Networks• Career Network: 14 average
• Composed of – Peers on campus (5), Faculty/Advisor (2.5), Family (2.6), Relatives/Acquaint. (2.6)
• Know in organization: 1/3 knew someone with 90% only knowing one person
• Tended to be someone with 7 to 20 years with the organization
Basic Measures
• Mentor• More likely to be a young professional
• Supervisor• Experienced professional or management• Interpersonal Interactions• External Interactions
• Scale Metrics
FIRST MODEL (WITH MASTERY)
First Step: Supervisor/Mentor Influences
SE
SI
M
SI
TI
LI
+
+
+
++
+
+++
2nd Step: Weak Network
SE
SI
M
SI
TI
IL
+
+
+
++
+
+++
CN
KO
+
+
+
3rd: Mastery
SI
TI
IL
TASK MASTERY
Et
Sr
Final: SatisfactionSITI IL
TASK MASTERY
Et
GPA
Satisfaction
-
SE MSI
G
CN
KO
-
• Gender– What’s with it with men?– Women seek out faculty more in career advice– Women less likely to have management as supervisor– Women more likely to have less experienced mentor
• Ethnicity– Non-whites have fewer classmates in their network; also fewer family are involved– Non-whites less likely to have managers as supervisors– Advantages – are they permanent
• GPA– Tim Judge’s work –
• Family Income– No statistical impact (yet)
Additional Variables
Characteristics of the Internship• Credit vs no-credit
– No statistical differences (at this time)• Paid vs unpaid
– Paid are more satisfied with experience• Length
– Longer experience more satisfied• Part or Full time
– Part-time (20 hrs or less) more satisfied
Alternative Model• Control variables that are used in all models. – Paid versus unpaid– Credit versus no-credit– Internship length– Internship Status – Gender– Race
Serial mediation models: Supervisory support learning satisfaction accept offer
Indirect effects.0032 (significant)
Supervisory support team integration satisfaction accept offerIndirect effects
.0005 (not significant)Supervisory support social integration satisfaction accept offer
Indirect effects-.0002 (not significant)
Supervisory support satisfaction accept offerIndirect effects
.021 (significant)
Mentor Moderation
• Control variables that are used in all models. – Paid versus unpaid– Credit versus no-credit– Internship length– Internship Status
• Main effects of social capital on outcomes:• Social capital satisfaction = .000 (not significant)• Social capital job offer = .010 (not significant)• Social capital supervisory support = .014 (significant)• Social capital mentorship status = .026 (significant)• • Main effects of race/ethnicity and gender on outcomes • • Race/Ethnicity • satisfaction = -.018 (not significant)• job offer = -.337 (significant)• supervisory support = -.106 (significant)• mentorship status = .03 (not significant)
• Gender• satisfaction = .006 (not significant)• job offer = .501 (significant)• supervisory support = -.011 (not significant)• mentorship status = -.126 (not significant)
Implications• Ethnicity: Passing Time• Gender: Do men gain more simply doing it and
ignoring all the breadth stuff – or does it catch up with them
• Supervisor – always the key• Mentors – should not be forgotten• Social capital – both strong and weak – play key roles
Shift Gears: Future• Administrative Clarity: rise of “big data”• Boundary Spanning & Length• Story Telling: need for integration• New frontiers (i.e.)– Teams– Reverse education and experiential education (the
context more important than the content)
Questions