Outlining the benefits of Strategic Networking

Social Networks have attracted enormous interest in the scientific community in recent years. The characteristics, components and impacts of social networks have been studied through different kinds of aspects, such as sociological, geographical, ethnological, political and economical. In economics social network studies have been performed on intra- and inter-organizational levels, though rarely simultaneously. Furthermore the strategic aspects of fostering and controlling informal organizational networks as well as the outcomes of these managerial attempts on the network characteristics and the performance of the organization have not been sufficiently studied yet. However, the need to develop, foster and manage networks efficiently is given for preventing negative effects and provoking positive ones. Therefore this study contributes to scientific theory and practical business development by exploring the influence of Strategic Networking in inter- as well as intra-organizational business-fields. For study the author develops and defines Strategic Networking as the strategic and target-oriented analysis, development, fostering and control of (inter- as well as intra-organizational) networks on the basis of trust, with the intention to reach certain (organizational) goals and tests its applicability and effects in an extensive survey on three levels: intra-, inter-organizational and regional networks (cluster). The survey showed that Strategic Networking goes in line with favourable network characteristics as well as the success of a firm in terms of financial and non-financial performance measures.