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

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CN

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SPI

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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

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SI

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+

+

+

++

+

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2nd Step: Weak Network

SE

SI

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SI

TI

IL

+

+

+

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CN

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+

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3rd: Mastery

SI

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TASK MASTERY

Et

Sr

Final: SatisfactionSITI IL

TASK MASTERY

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GPA

Satisfaction

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SE MSI

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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