A Good Bloke and a Good Man to Do Business With: How Men Use Symbolic Masculinity to Network Through Golf

Andreas Giazitzoglu and Andrea Whittle

Gender, Work and Organization, 2025, vol. 32, issue 6, 2118-2132

Abstract: Business networks are known to be gendered. However, few studies have delved into precisely how gender relates to networking practices. This study focuses on the gendered symbolic practices used by men when they play golf for the purposes of business networking. The study involved participant observations of five men who worked as wealth managers and who used golf for networking with prospective clients. Analysis reveals how networking and cultural expressions of masculinity intersect. Specifically, we identify the discursive, embodied, and material symbolic practices used by the wealth managers to network with other men. The study shows how performances of “being a good bloke” and “being a good man to do business with” are symbolically related. We contribute to literature on how culturally embedded notions of masculinity are enacted in business contexts, especially business networking interactions.

Date: 2025
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