Transforming Input Into Output: How Downward Networking Mediates the Effect of External Networking on Organizational Performance

One of the core assumptions of the open systems perspective is that management facilitates the technical flows that transform resources and demands into output, which ultimately affects the organization’s performance. This article sheds light on the managerial throughput hypothesis by testing the mediating role of downward networking on the relationship between externally oriented managerial networking and organizational performance. The testing of the conceptual framework uses data on 547 Dutch primary schools. When put to this empirical test, the managerial throughput hypothesis is corroborated for most of the identified constructs of externally oriented networking.