Serpents in the Sand: Managerial Networking and Nonlinear Influences on Organizational Performance

Scholars of public management have consistently found that managementmatters, but little research has considered how much managementmatters or whether the link between management and performancemay be contingent on various factors. This article further investigatesthe link between management and performance by examining thefunctional form of the relationship. Analyses using data from1000+ public organizations point to some diminishing returns.Results suggest that networking with other organizations mightnot always result in gains for the organization. Findings alsoshow how managerial quality and differences in organizationalstaff can affect this relationship.