The role of advice networks in the design and development of jobs

This thesis considers the ways that different types of advice operate within an employee’s network, and the choices that employees make about who to approach for advice, and when to do so. In elucidating these behavioural triggers, this thesis highlights how over time, advice behaviours and the networks in which they are embedded become crafted, contributing to the design and the development of a job. The research uses a mixed methods approach in order to build an explanatory case study of the advice networks within a population of engineers employed by a multi-national manufacturing organization. The case study is built through a four-stage methodology (context building interviews, a network questionnaire, follow-up interviews, and a follow-up questionnaire), which utilises both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Some hypotheses are deductively tested, but equally, there is much of inductive interest in the quantitative measurement of the network, which is considered in its own right. Thematic analyses also yield valuable insights. These emergent findings are integrated in order to present this single, explanatory case study. The theoretical implications of this are considered. This includes the presentation of a model for conceptualising social job design, and within this, a model of the advice seeking process. Together, these insights are consolidated to suggest some directions for future research in this domain.