NETWORKING SKILLS OF PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS AND THE QUALITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL LINKAGES IN S ELECTED STATE UNIVERS ITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Merilyn P. Juacalla and Benny B. Juacalla. Laguna State Polytechnic University, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Philippines . ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History Received: 09 September 2018 Final Accepted: 11 October 2018 Published: November 2018

networking skills, quality of organizational linkages, extension program, state universities and colleges, Philippines State colleges and universities (SUCs) in the Philippines established organizational linkages to better reach out to the communit ies. The SUCs entered into consortium contracts with other institutions to extend services through maximized expert ise of the deans, faculty membe rs, directors, and program imp lementers. Theextension services were issue-oriented and development-focused, to meet its min imu m requirement as a truly transformative force. This descriptive study determined the influence of the networking skills of the deans, directors, and program imp lementers on the quality of the organizational lin kages in selected state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the CALA BARZON area, Ph ilippines. It was found that the organizational linkages were highly and effectively implemented in the SUCs. Power and influence, as a networking skill, predicted the quality of the organizational linkages as to advocacy. The quality of the organizational linkages as to community organizing capacity was induced by the program implementers' creativity and innovation, communication skill, leadership skill and power and influence. Capacitybuilding and network and alliance building was influenced by the program imp lementers' leadership skilland power and influence. It was concluded in the study that the organizational linkages, that were of high quality, enabled the SUCs to build their good imageand reputation. Mutual cooperation, knowledge mobility, network stability, and better services were achieved through the program imp lementers' networking skills as knowledge sharing, management of ideas, communicat ion, innovation, and improved performance.

ISSN: 2320-5407
Int. J. Adv. R es. 6(11),780-785 781 The SUCsestablish organizational lin kages to better reach out to the communit ies. They enter into consortium contracts with other institutions to maximize the expert ise of the faculty members, with the able leadership of the deans, directors, and program imp lementers. They conduct extension services that are issue -oriented and development-focused, to meet its min imu m requirement as a truly transformat ive force.The quality of these linkages is gauged on the number of services extended, the number of beneficiaries served, and the extent to which pre -set goals are attained. Quality-oriented organizat ions focus on meeting present needs and risk-averse. They resort to strategic planning, benchmarking, and use customer-focused approaches (Leavengood, et al, 2014). Therefore, the members of the extension services in the SUCs may be exposed to pragmatic acculturation, where they are exposed to emerg ing ideologies and voluntary compliance and commit ment to productivity and quality (Mohanty, 1998).
The roles played by the deans, directors, and program imp lementers have always been critical to the success of the SUCs, because they are involved in hands -on activities and are always in contact with other stakeholders in the organization. Their ro les are being recognized inside and outside the work organizat ion. As program imp lementers, they should build network and alliance by identifying groups or groups of individuals as collaborators. They should be ableto deliberately and strategically use information to influence decision making, as part of their advocacy role. In order to enhance their community organizing capacity, they should plan effectively how to take collaborative action. Moreover, capacity building skill is enhanced by ident ifying systems and processes that would facilitate achievement of goals. The extent to which they form linkages with other organizations and emp loy networking skills, if not properly enhanced, may have an adverse effect on the quality of the organizational linkages in the SUCs.

Objecti ves of the Study:
The primary purpose of the study is to determine the influence of networking skills on the quality of organizational lin kages in the SUCs. Specifically, it aims to: 1. Determine the level of networking skills of the deans and program imp lementers in terms of creativ ity and innovation, communication skill, leadership skill, and power and influence. 2. Establish the level of quality of the organizational linkages as to advocacy, community organizing capacity, capacity building, and network and alliance building. 3. Ascertain if the level of networking skills of the deans and program implementers predict the quality of the organizational linkages in the SUCs.

Review of Literature:
Effectiveness is the key to success of any organization. The school leaders must be prudent enough in the choice of objectives to realize, courses of action to undertake, resourceful enough in times of scarcity, and versatile in the performance of their roles. They must display a kind of leadership that causes the members to get moving towards the realization of organizational goals (Angeles, 2003).They may understand that the leadership skills that foster school performance include teamwork, judgement, oral and written communicat ion, and understanding own strengths and weaknesses (Pricellas et al., 2016). They must also realize that higher-order dynamic capabilities start fro m collaboration, learning, and management of creative ideas for both strategic and operational benefits (Agarwal&Selen, 2009). They must use network coordination for increased capacity to plan for and address complex problems and better services for clients (Provan&Kenis, 2007).
School officials must have the ability to draw the public into the process by considering long-term interests built on procedural fairness, effective communication, building support and relationships, demonstrating commit ment to impacted commun ities and nurturing a reputation in the co mmunity for long -term effectiveness (Greensweig, et al 2016). Internal co mmunication, therefore must be intensified as it is the main fo rm of informat ion exchange; it maintains mutual cooperation and ensure utmost transparency (Dzamtovska -Zdravkovska, 2013). That is why the SUCs are mandated to develop consortia and other forms of linkages with local government units and both public and private local and foreign agencies and develop academic arrangements for capacity build ing. Playing a central role, the SUCs must see that the format ion, growth and success of their networks is achieved through individual action. They may develop their broad capabilities within the organization to enhance knowledge mobility, innovation appropriability, and network stability (Dhanaraj, &Parkhe, 2006). The deans, directors, and program implementers are tasked to perform this special role. Therefore, they must work with anyone at any level within or outside the organization and provide the necessary networking mechanis m for everyone.

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The provision of extension services enables the SUCs to transfer technology, particularly their relevant research outputs. Technology transfer, continuing education and training, and informat ion dissemination contribute significantly to the attainment of national development goals (Labuguen, 2004). That is why, the deans, directors, and program imp lementers continually sustain and expand the network of advocates and mobilizers. They see that network formation is crucial for problem solving, innovation, and competitiveness (Tracey& Clark, 2003 The SUCs become empowered due to formed collaboration. Empowering people means greatly increasing the system's capacity by creating processes, setting up structures that institutionalize those processes, and involve a much wider range of stakeholders in management (Potter &Brough, 2004).That is why, the deans, directors, and program imp lementers mobilize programs and projects to win policy and political co mmit ment for better resource allocation. They enlist cooperation of service providers and secure support to gain commit ment of local political, religious, social leaders and local organizations. They utilize interventions that increase the capacity of the organization to achieve goals and improve quality of life in the co mmunit ies (Peterson& Zimmerman, 2004).

Methodology:
The The study used the descriptive design. Thenetworking skills of the deans and program imp lementers were used to suggest influence to the quality of the organizational linkages in the SUCs. Descriptive research becomes correlational when questions are asked on how variables co-vary with other variables (Mitchell & Jolley, 2007). It is a form of associational research that seeks out relationships among variables and helps explain important human behaviors or to predict likely outcomes (Fraenkel&Wallen, 2006).
A researcher-made questionnaire was used to gather data on the level of networking skills of the deans and program implementers and the extent of effectiveness of organizational linkages. The statistical tools used were weighted mean, standard deviation, and mu ltip le regression analysis.

Results and Discussion:
The follo wing discussion focused on the influence of the level of networking skills of the dean and program implementers on the quality of organizational linkages in the SUCs. Table 1

Level of Quality of the Organizational Linkages in the S UCs :-
The quality of organizational linkages in the SUCs were high in terms of advocacy (M=4.29, SD=0.712), co mmunity organizing capacity (M=4.18, SD=0.773), capacity building (M=4.33, SD=0.681), and network and alliance building (M=4.45, SD=0.653). The SUCs identified co llaborators, strategically used informat ion that influenced decisionmaking, encouraged the stakeholders to join technolog y-related projects, andhelped in developing the systems and processes of community pro jects. Through these, the SUCs were able to develop their b road capabilit ies that enhance knowledge mobility, innovation appropriability, and network stability (Dhanaraj, &Parkhe, 2006). The networks formed by the SUCs help them imp rove problem-solving, innovation, and competitiveness (Tracey& Clark, 2003), as well as learning and human capacity development (Wescott& Jones, 2007). Mutual cooperation is maintained (Dzamtovska-Zdravkovska, 2013) as the SUCs plan for better services for clients (Provan&Kenis, 2007) that creates a better official image for them as they imp lement projects (Sangiviku mar, 2017).

Predictors of Quality of Organizational Linkages in the S UCs
The program imp lementers' power and influencewas a predictor of the quality of organizational lin kages as to advocacy (β=.460, t =-5.625, sig.=.000). The quality of organizational linkages as to advocacy was exp lained by 67.1% of the program implementers' power and influence. The F-value of 49.609 was significant at 0.000 probability level. The SUCs develop higher order dynamic capabilit ies through collaboration and management of ideas (Agarwal&Selen, 2009).They continue to build support and relationships and promote a reputation in the community for long-term effectiveness (Greensweig, et al 2016). The F-value of 38.438 was significant at .000 probability level. The quality of organizational linkages as to community organizing capacity was explained by 61.1% of the program implementers' creativity and innovation, communicat ion skill, leadership skill, and power and influence. The program imp lementers organize co mmunity projects through mutual trust and commit ment (Blo mqvist& Levy,2006), sustain projects by understanding its strengths and weaknesses (Pricellas et al, 2016), and use network coordination for increased capacity to plan for and address complex problems and better services for clients (Provan&Kenis, 2007). . They create and follow systems and processes, institutionalize these processes, and involve a much wider range of stakeholders in management (Potter &Brough, 2004) of extension activities. =0.000 Results in Table 6 showed that program imp lementers' leadership skill (β=.384, t=4.536, sig.=.000) and power and influence (β=.429, t=4.089, sig.=.000) were predictors of the quality of organizational linkages as to network and alliance building. The F-value of 39.584 was significant at .000 probability level. 61.8% % of the variation in the quality of organizat ional linkages as to network and alliance building was explained by the program imp lementers' leadership skill and power and influence. Networks are used to better provide services to the clients (Provan&Kenis, 2007). The SUCs continue to build support and relationships and demonstrate commit ment to the impacted communit ies (Greensweig, et al 2016) to establish better network stability (Dhanaraj, &Parkhe, 2006). They respond to public actions through improved performance (Wescott& Jones, 2007) utilizing interventions that improve the quality of life in the commun ities (Peterson& Zimmerman, 2004).

Conclusions:-
It was concluded in the study that the organizational linkages, that were of high quality, enabled the SUCs to build their good image and reputation. Mutual cooperation, knowledge mobility, network stability, and better services were achieved through the program imp lementers' networking skills as knowledge sharing, management of ideas, communicat ion, innovation, and improved performance.