Relational, Organizational and Individual Antecedents of the Socialization of New Recruits

Abstract

This article draws on research in socialization, social support and organizational justice to explore the interactions among the relational, organizational and individual determinants of newcomers' adjustment. More specifically, we examine the interactive effects of perceived supervisor support (PSS), organizational socialization tactics, perceived overall justice and proactive personality on newcomers' task mastery, role clarity and job satisfaction. The results of a 2-wave longitudinal study on 104 new recruits of a large French bank point out that effective socialization is a result of a synergy between relational, organizational and individual paths. In particular, we found that the socializing effects of PSS are stronger under conditions of institutionalized socialization tactics, high perceived overall justice, and high newcomers' proactivity. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed.