Organizational socialization

• ‘the process by which a person learns the values, norms and required behaviours which permit him to participate as a member of the organization’ (Van Maanen, 1976, p. 67)

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Organizational Socialization

• Organizational Socialization – process by which a person learns the values,

norms, and required behaviors which permit him to participate as a member of the organization

Keeping Culture Alive• Selection

– Concern with how well the candidates will fit into the organization.

– Provides information to candidates about the organization.

• Top Management– Senior executives help establish behavioral

norms that are adopted by the organization.

• Socialization– The process that helps new employees adapt

to the organization’s culture.

Stages in the Socialization Process

Prearrival Stage

The period of learning in the socialization process that occurs before a new employee joins the organization.

Metamorphosis Stage

The stage in the socialization process in which a new employee changes and adjusts to the work, work group, and organization.

Encounter Stage

The stage in the socialization process in which a new employee sees what the organization is really like and confronts the possibility that expectations and reality may diverge.

Stages of Socialization

Organizational Socialization

• Phase 1: Anticipatory

• Phase 2: Encounter

• Phase 3: Change and acquisition

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Phase 1: Anticipatory Socialization

• Occurs before an individual joins an organization

• Involves the information people learn about different careers, occupations, professions, and organizations

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Phase 2: Encounter

• Employees learn what the organization is really like and reconcile unmet expectations

• Onboarding – programs aimed at helping employees

integrate, assimilate, and transition to new jobs

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Phase 3: Change and Acquisition

• Requires employees to master important tasks and roles and to adjust to their work group’s values and norms

Organizational Socialization Process

A Model of Organizational Socialization

Organizational Socialization

Phases Perceptual and Social Processes

1) Anticipatory socialization learning that occurs prior to joining the organization

Anticipating realities about the organization and the new job

Anticipating organization’s needs for one’s skills and abilities

Anticipating organization’s sensitivity to one’s needs and values

Organizational Socialization

Phases Perceptual and Social Processes

2) Encounter values, skills, and attitudes start to shift as new recruit discovers what the organization is truly like

Managing lifestyle-versus-work conflicts

Managing intergroup role conflicts

Seeking role definition and clarity

Becoming familiar with task and group dynamics

Organizational Socialization

Phases Perceptual and Social Processes

3) Change and acquisition recruit masters skills and roles and adjusts to work group’s values and norms

Competing role demands are resolved

Critical tasks are mastered

Group norms and values are internalized

A Socialization Model

Outcomes of Socialization

Newcomers who are successfully socialized should exhibit:

– Good performance– High job satisfaction– Intention to stay with organization– Low levels of distress symptoms– High level of organizational commitment

Embedding Organizational Culture through Mentoring

• Mentoring – the process of forming and maintaining

developmental relationships between a mentor and a junior person

Mentoring

• Developmental relationship strength reflects the quality of relationships among the individual and those involved in his developmental network

Mentoring

The process by which a more experienced employee advises, counsels, and otherwise enhances the professional development of a new employee.MentorMentor: A more experienced employee who guides a newer employee in learning about the job and organization.ProtégéProtégé: An inexperienced employee who receives assistance from a more experienced employee in learning about a new job and/or organization.

Functions of Mentoring

•Career Functions– In what ways can

mentoring assist in one’s career progression?

•Psychological Functions– How can mentoring

serve a psychological function?

Functions of Mentoring

Mentoring Stages

Benefits of Mentoring

For the protégé: Mentors– Provide much needed emotional support and

confidence– Help pave the way for job success– Suggest useful strategies for achieving work

objectives– Help bring the protégé to the attention of top

management– Protect protégés from making errors and help

them avoid risky situations

Benefits of Mentoring

For the mentor:– May reap psychological benefits from feeling

needed and a sense of accomplishment in helping the younger generation

– Can expect protégés to work hard at assigned tasks

– Can expect protégés to be loyal supporters– May gain recognition from others for their work in

helping nurture young talent– Can feel proud of their protégés’ successes

Risks of Mentoring

Protégés may find that their own success hinges on the success of their mentor.

Any failures on the part of the protégé may harm the mentor’s reputation.

The mentor’s advice may not be as good as it should be.

Protégés may become so highly dependent on their mentors that they will be slow to develop as self-reliant individuals.

Mentors may grow overly reliant on their protégés, delegating too many responsibilities that they should be discharging themselves.

Successful Mentoring

NORMS

• Defined -- Agreed upon and often informal rules that guide group members behavior

• Formal norms --More important to continuity of the organization, written codes of conduct

• Informal -- Implicit but unwritten• Agreed upon -- Continuing consensus

among group members

DIMENSIONS OF NORMS

• Behavioral -- Specifies what to do, when to do it and how much is appropriate

• Evaluative -- Specifies approval or disapproval by the group. The group sanctions (positive and negative) can be explicit or implicit

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMS

• Range of tolerated behaviors -- approved behavior is actually over a range that deviates from the prototype of the norm

• Intensity -- Strength of approval -- disapproval. Some norms have sharp approval and disapproval, others are mild.

• Crystallization -- Group consensus

TYPICAL ORGANIZATIONAL NORMS

• Performance norms

• Dress norms

• Reward allocation norms

• Commitment norms

NORM DEVELOPMENT

• Precedents over time

• Transfers from other situations

• Critical events

• Explicit rules

ROLES

• Defined -- Group position that has a set of expected behaviors– Formal role -- job description– Informal role -- what your work group

expects of you beyond job description, what you add on your own

– Role taking makes organizational life orderly and predictable

ROLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Role expectations -- behavior expected of someone in a particular position

• Role incumbent -- the person currently filling the position. Incumbent can shrink or expand role to a certain point.

• Role ambiguity -- unclear expectations about role behavior. Creates confusion for the incumbent

ROLE CHARACTERISTICS, CONT.

• Role conflict -- conflicting role demands

• Sender conflict

• Inter-role conflict

• Person-role conflict

TYPICAL ORGANIZATIONAL ROLES

• Task specialist -- Person who because of experience, skill, or knowledge has edge in task competency

• Maintenance specialist -- human relations guru

BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS

• Summing up — Examined the function of norms in groups, the behavioral and evaluative components as well as the fact that norms cover a range of behaviors. Also looked at role ambiguity, role conflict, and task and maintenance roles

• Looking ahead: Next time we consider group influence and team work.