Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

THE ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALZATION

PROCESS
Socialization
The process through which individuals become social
beings .
Socialization is a noun that means the adoption of the
behavior of the surrounding culture. The act of adapting
behavior to the norms of a culture or society is
called socialization. Socialization can also mean going out
and meeting people or hanging out with friends.

Organizational Socialization
The process through which employees learn about the firms
culture and pass their knowledge and understanding on to
others .
Organizational socialization is defined as a learning and
adjustment process that enables an individual to assume
an organizational role that fits both organizational and
individual needs. It is a dynamic process that occurs when an
individual assumes a new or changing role with in an
organization.

Organizational Socialization Process

The socialisation process. where the new employee adapts
from 'outsider to insider. commences prior to the
employee joining the organisation resumes when the

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Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

newcomer statts employment and continues with further

adjusments and changes taking place until the newcomer
becomes a fully integrated member of the organisation .
Organizational socialization is defined as the process by
which a person learns the values, norms, and required
behaviors which permit him to participate as a member of
the organization. As previously discussed, organizational
socialization is a key mechanism used by organizations to
embed their organizational cultures. In short, organizational
socialization turns outsiders into fully functioning insiders by
promoting and reinforcing the organizations core values and
beliefs. This section introduces a three-phase model of
organizational socialization and examines the practical
application of socialization research.

A Three-Phase Model of Organizational

Socialization
Ones first year in a complex organization can be confusing. There
is a constant swirl of new faces, strange jargon, conflicting
expectations, and apparently unrelated events. Some
organizations treat new members in a rather haphazard, sink-orswim manner. More typically, though, the socialization process is
characterized by a sequence of identifiable steps.
Organizational behavior researcher Daniel Feldman has proposed
a three-phase model of organizational socialization that promotes
deeper understanding of this important process.
The three phases are
(1) Anticipatory Socialization
(2) Encounter
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Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

(3) Change And Acquisition

Each phase has its associated perceptual and social processes.
Feldmans model also specifies behavioral and affective outcomes
that can be used to judge how well an individual has been
socialized. The entire three-phase sequence may take from a few
weeks to a year to complete, depending on individual differences
and the complexity of the situation.

Phase 1: Anticipatory Socialization

Anticipatory socialization occurs before an individual actually
joins an organization. It is represented by the information people
have learned about different careers, occupations, professions,
and organizations. Anticipatory socialization information comes
from many sources. An organizations current employees are a
powerful source of anticipatory socialization. So are the Internet
and social media.
For example, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the largest
professional services firm in the world, uses several web-based
sources to attract potential employees.

PHASE2: Encounter
This second phase begins when the employment contract has
been signed. During the encounter phase employees come to
learn what the organization is really like. It is a time for
reconciling unmet expectations and making sense of a new work
environment. Many companies use a combination of orientation
and training programs to socialize employees during the
encounter phase. On boarding is one such technique. On boarding
programs help employees to integrate, assimilate, and transition
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Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

to new jobs by making them familiar with corporate policies,

procedures, and culture and by clarifying work role expectations
and responsibilities. Automatic Data Processings (ADP) on
boarding program consists of a combination of online training,
classroom training, meetings with employees, written materials
containing guidelines on what to expect in the first 90 days, an
assimilation guide, and social networking. The company believes
that these efforts are helping it to turn newcomers into fully
functioning employees.

Phase 3: Change and Acquisition

The change and acquisition phase requires employees to master
important tasks and roles and to adjust to their work groups
values and norms. This will only occur when employees have a
clear understanding about their roles and they are effectively
integrated within the work unit. Being successful in phase 3 also
necessitates that employees have a clear understanding
regarding the use of social media. It is easy for you to create
problems for yourself by not being aware of expectations
regarding surfing, texting during meetings, and sending personal
messages on company equipment. Experts suggest setting
ground rules on the first day of employment, coaching employees
on norms, and discussing how guidelines have changed over time.
Additionally, organizations such as Schlumberger, a large
multinational oil company, use incentives and social gatherings to
reinforce the new behaviors expected of employees.

Organisational Socialisation Outcomes

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Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

Outcomes of Newcomer Adjustment Newcomer adjustment has

been associated with outcomes such as performance, job
attitudes, and retention (Bauer et al., 1998). The relationships
among newcomer adjustment and the outcomes in have been
studied to varying degrees, and adjustment is often related to
socialization outcomes. However, the nature of these
relationships is unclear because of conflicting findings across
studies and a lack of individual studies that included the full set of
outcomes.

Performance
We expected newcomer adjustment to relate to performance.
Employees who are clear about role expectations are more likely
to perform well, and those who believe they can accomplish their
tasks tend to have greater goal accomplishment. Employees who
are socially accepted by peers may perform at higher levels,
given that the relationships they form with their peers may serve
as social capital that facilitates their job performance (Bauer &
Green, 1994). Thus, we expected positive relations between
adjustment and job performance.

Job attitudes.
Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intentions to
remain are three of the most studied outcomes of socialization.
We predicted that newcomer adjustment was related to all three
attitudes. Role ambiguity is a source of dissatisfaction because it
is associated with high levels of stress and burnout. Employees
who are not clear about their roles may be less satisfied and
committed to the organization and more likely to leave. In
addition, research has linked uncertainty to lower job satisfaction
(e.g., Louis, 1980). Similarly, employees who have high self

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Submitted to: Sir Shafaqat

Class: MBA 4

efficacy will feel confident that they can achieve key aspects of
their jobs and be more satisfied, committed to the organization,
and less likely to want to leave. Finally, receiving social support on
the job is important for job attitudes (Fisher, 1985; Louis, Posner,
& Powell, 1983).

Turnover.
Employees who adjust to their new roles by understanding role
demands, feeling capable of performing tasks, and establishing
effective relationships with peers will have a strong attachment to
the organization that will prevent them from leaving their jobs.
When newcomers successfully adjust to their roles and work
environment, they should be less likely to quit. Wanous (1980)
found a link between uncertainty and premature turnover

Conclusion
OS is an important process for both the newcomer and the
organisation, with the efficiency and effectiveness of the OS
process resulting in successful individual and organisational
outcomes. Despite the strong arguments supporting the
importance of OS and its links to improving employee and
employer outcomes. Specific aspects such as the relationship
between preencounter and encounter socialisation phases, the
role of individual differences in newcomer adjustment, together
with an employer and employee perspective are issues that
require further attention in OS research.

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