International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences March 2015, Vol. 5, No. 3 ISSN: 2222-6990 419 www.hrmars.com The Effect of Networking Behavior on the Reduction of Innovation Obstacles to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Peyman Ajdari 1 , Kambiz Talebi 2 1 M.Sc. in Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Iran 2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Iran DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v5-i3/1536 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v5-i3/1536 Abstract Given the crucial importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the business world, it is important to study the factors which enhance their effect, including networking behaviours and innovation. Many researches have focused on business networks and innovation, but a lack of interdisciplinary studies is felt. Using questionnaires to collect data, and correlation and regression testing, this paper studies the relationship between networking behaviour and the reduction of innovation obstacles within SMEs. The role of the variables in ƋuestioŶ has ďeeŶ studied aŵoŶg ϭϭϴ ŵaŶageƌs of “MEs estaďlished iŶ TehƌaŶ UŶiǀeƌsitLJs Science and Technology Park. The results of the study show that there is a significant relationship between networking behaviour and the reduction of innovation obstacles. The ŵost effeĐtiǀe paƌaŵeteƌ of ŶetǁoƌkiŶg ďehaǀiouƌ is ŵaiŶtaiŶiŶg ĐoŶtaĐts. UsiŶg ĐoŶtaĐts aŶd ďuildiŶg ĐoŶtaĐts are in the second and third place, respectively. Keywords: Networking behaviour, Networks, Innovation, Innovation obstacles, Small and medium-sized enterprises Introduction A network can be defined as a specific set of bonds within a determined set of role players (Groen, 2005). In other words, a network is a context in which enterprises take place, including different business relations and interactions (Jamsa et al., 2011).Scientific research on networking dates back to the 1980s. The researches in this field can be classified in two groups. The first group focuses on power and politics and generally argue that organizations are political institutions in which informal processes affect career paths. The second group of researches is concerned with careers. In this category of researches, networking is defined as IŶdiǀiduals atteŵpts to deǀelop aŶd ŵaiŶtaiŶ ƌelatioŶships ǁith otheƌs ǁho haǀe the poteŶtial to assist theŵ iŶ theiƌ ǁoƌk oƌ Đaƌeeƌ. Thus, ďoth gƌoups of ƌeseaƌĐh defiŶe ŶetǁoƌkiŶg as a personal phenomenon focusing on behaviour (Wolff; Kim, 2012).