Lay theories of networking ability: Beliefs that inhibit instrumental networking

While touting the importance of building effective networks, scholars have paid far less attention to why so many people feel so ambivalent or conflicted about instrumental networking, and what can be done to change such attitudes. The present research provides the first empirical test of a novel theory, which argues that people are more likely to disengage from networking if they hold a “fixed theory” of networking ability—believing that how...