ABSTRACT
Nonprofit organizations can benefit if their leaders engage in networking with external stakeholders. However, such networking efforts may also have implications for leaders themselves. Drawing from the job demands-resources model, we examine the effects of two networking variables on nonprofit leaders’ well-being and performance. First, we investigate if nonprofit leaders with networking ability receive more support from external stakeholders, which may motivate and help them to perform their job. Second, we examine whether extensive networking may lead to emotional exhaustion or performance breakdown. Third, we investigate if networking ability may attenuate the adverse effects of extensive networking. Results from a survey of 129 executive directors of the German Red Cross indicate that external networking can be a double-edged sword for nonprofit leaders. We discuss these findings and derive implications for both theory and nonprofit management practice.