AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PRACTICE OF USING NETWORKING IN BUSINESS ACTIVITIES: SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of networking as a socio-psychological tool for building a network of business contacts. Based on the analysis of theoretical and applied research by foreign and domestic scholars, the article reveals modern approaches to the interpretation of the essence of networking, its forms, types and role in modern business processes. The technologies of networking communications in doing business and the role of the communicative competence of a business entity in establishing a network of useful business relationships are characterized.

A questionnaire has been developed to study the practice of using networking in business activities. Using the diagnostic tools posted on the Google Forms service, the experience of using networking by businessmen of Ternopil region was studied. The following have been identified: social networks and messengers used for business management and development; availability of own website to promote personal brand and own business; technologies for building and maintaining a network of business relations and contacts; concrete results and increase in business efficiency due to networking; positive/negative experience of assistance from business network members in response to a request; readiness of a business networker to help members of his/her own network of contacts; difficulties in building a network of business contacts; and the Prospects for researching other components of networking and psychological determinants and regulators of communication activity as a condition for successful business networking are outlined.