EMERGING ECONOMIES AND THE REVIVAL OF IN-PERSON NETWORKING AND MENTORSHIP

Abstract

As the focus of the global management gurus turns to leadership development, it is often experienced that social network theory is pushed to the back in favor of more technical solutions. However, it is the aspect of social network theory in the contexts of personal networking and mentoring i.e. the “soft skills” that takes precedence over the prevailing mechanized systems in place. This study is an attempt to examine the effect of these mechanisms that propagate ideas, information, and influence that flows to the circle of influence, from a mentor to a mentee resulting in a much-needed leadership development effort. The scholarship of leadership development in the educational sector of Pakistan provides empirical evidence to support the positive and significant relationship between the in-person social networking (moderated by mentoring) on leadership development of the faculty members at higher education institutes.