Why women are less effective at professional networking decoded

Women's tendency to underestimate their professional self-worth and reluctance to 'exploit' social ties makes them less successful at networking vital for the success at the work place, a study has found.

The research, published in the journal Human Relations, shows that it is not only exclusion by men, but also self-imposed barriers including hesitation and gendered modesty that prevent women from networking as effectively as their male counterparts. The study, by researchers from EBS Business School in Germany, was based on interviews with 37 high-profile female leaders in German corporations. 

It showed that women's tendencies to harbour moral concerns about 'exploiting' social ties causes them to under-benefit from networking activities. This tendency is further exacerbated by women's predisposition to underestimate and undersell their professional self-worth. 

Understanding why women are less successful at networking is vital for the development of gender equality in the work place. Through the study, women were shown to be careful not to "over-benefit" from their connections and to emphasise the moral aspects of the network, whilst underestimating and poorly demonstrating their own contributions in a professional context. 

Talking about personal hesitation one interviewee stated "Women look at networks from a social point of view. They do not ask the question "How will this benefit me?" "Men, on the other hand, focus on the opposite, placing less emphasis on personal relationships and make networking decisions for egoistic and instrumental motives," she said.

"We hope that this paper's findings will motivate women to scrutinise their positioning in networks and encourage them to interact more proactively and less reservedly with powerful social contacts," researchers said.

"Women's tendencies to underestimate their value in professional networks and on the job market are at odds with the demand for qualified women," they said. "Instead women can be convinced of their qualities and of their resulting objective 'professional value' and engage proactively in the powerful networks that they are likely to benefit from and valuably contribute to," they said.