Feedback-Seeking and Social Networking Behaviors During Job Search: A Conceptual Model

This paper combines research on self-regulation, social resource theory, and weak tie theory to propose a conceptual model for why some people network more than others when searching for a job. This article explores the hypothetical relationship between social networking behaviors and self-regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, the focus is on explaining the differences in the job seeker's feedback-seeking and networking behaviors and how they vary depending on state and trait goal orientation, motives for feedback seeking, and types of ties the job seekers connect with. A conceptual model of self-regulation and social networking behaviors presents a set of testable relationships that can be explored using correlational and experimental methods. The article also proposes specific research directions for testing the model and discusses the practical implications of the relationships.