Keywords
formal relationships
informal relationships
network analysis
self-monitoring
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Abstract
Self-monitoring is a personality trait that affects job performance and relational behavior displayed by individuals in different social settings. The objective of this study is to examine the contribution of self-monitoring in explaining the variability of formal and informal relational behavior in a technology-based company. Network analysis methods were applied to evaluate the relational structure, the quadratic assignment procedure to examine the overlap between formal and informal networks, and regression analysis to determine the effect of the three dimensions of self-monitoring on degree and betweenness centrality in formal and informal contact networks. A total of 88 people participated in the study (88.8% men), with an average age of 24.55 years (SD = 3.44), all of whom comprised the entire staff of the company under analysis. The results show the existence of overlap (R = 0.287; p < 0.0001) between the formal and informal relational structures within the company. The ability to modify one's self-presentation has a positive impact on brokerage in the formal contact network (β = 0.408; p = 0.02). The social comparison dimension of self-monitoring has a negative effect on the level of brokerage in the formal contact network (β = -0.369; p = 0.047). Intersituational variability is the most powerful predictor of indegree (β = 0.349; p = 0.009) and outdegree centrality (β = 0.295; p = 0.03) in the informal contact network. The role of self-monitoring in relational behavior and job performance is discussed.
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