An official function is either an event, such as a
convention, that has an official purpose for one's employment, vocation or profession-whether run by a person, institution or governmental agency-or an official duty.
Attending events with official purposes is one of the duties of many persons in many organizations. Attending such events fall into categories of
networking,
protocol
Protocol may refer to:
Sociology and politics
* Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states
* Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state
* Etiquette, a code of personal behavior
Science and technolog ...
, information gathering, among others. Networking may involve an economic network, an
entrepreneurial network
In business, entrepreneurial networks are social organizations offering different types of resources to start or improve entrepreneurial projects. Having adequate human resources is a key factor for entrepreneurial achievements. Combined with lea ...
, an
old boy network
An old boy network (also known as old boys' network, ol' boys' club, old boys' club, old boys' society, good ol' boys club, or good ol' boys system) is an informal system in which wealthy men with similar social or educational background help ...
, a
social network
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
, and a
value network
A value network is a graphical illustration of social and technical resources within/between organizations and how they are utilized. The nodes in a value network represent people or, more abstractly, roles. The nodes are connected by interactions ...
. Protocol deals with etiquette and other forms of
intercultural competence
Cultural competence, also known as intercultural competence, is a range of cognitive, affective, and behavioural skills that lead to effective and appropriate communication with people of other cultures.Deardorff, D. K. (2009). ''The Sage handbook ...
that should be followed to show respect for those with whom one is networking. Information may be gained as a message, a pattern, or an input.
Attending events with official purposes helps one build an
augmented social network
Augment or augmentation may refer to:
Language
*Augment (Indo-European), a syllable added to the beginning of the word in certain Indo-European languages
*Augment (Bantu languages), a morpheme that is prefixed to the noun class prefix of nouns i ...
, a
community of practice
A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who "share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly". The concept was first proposed by cognitive anthropologist Jean Lave and educat ...
, and a
network of practice Network of practice (often abbreviated as NoP) is a concept originated by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid. This concept, related to the work on communities of practice by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, refers to the overall set of various types of ...
. Such attendance increases occupational
competence and achievement.
Official duties are those performed to facilitate the achievement of one's assignments as an employee. They may include duties that are performed in a routine manner and duties whose performance demonstrates innovation and leadership. They may include duties that are commonly performed, and duties that must be performed because of new circumstances.
Books
*Diane Darling, THE NETWORKING SURVIVAL GUIDE: GET THE SUCCESS YOU WANT BY TAPPING THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW (2003)
*
* Harvey Mackay, DIG YOUR WELL BEFORE YOU'RE THIRSTY: THE ONLY NETWORKING BOOK YOU'LL EVER NEED (1999)
*
*Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder, CREATING COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (2002)
Meetings
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