Saturday, January 30, 2010

Organizational Socialization (3 Phases)

After reading chapter three, there was one section which caught my eye because it is a topic which I could personally relate to. The thee-phase model of organizational socialization is experienced by every new employee in the work force. Researcher Daniel Feldman has proposed a model with three phases which shows deeper behavior behind organizational socialization. The three phases include “anticipatory socialization”, “encounter”, and “change and acquisition”. The anticipatory socialization stage occurred before an employee even enters his or her office, it is the learning which occurs prior to joining the organization. An employee’s attitude towards the new work environment can be swayed before they start working by a number of things. Outsider’s opinions of the company, the recruitment process, employee reviews of life at work; all these can inform an employee about the company even before his or her first day.

The second phase, “the encounter phase” occurs on the first day on the job. This is when the new employee learns what the new company’s organization is like. Many firms have “onboarding” programs, which help new employees adjust and adapt to their new environment.

“Change and acquisition” is the third and final stage of the three phase model of organizational socialization. This occurs when the new employee masters their new skill and accepts his or her new role. Many companies offer incentives to new employees to reinforce new expected behavior.

I did some additional research on adapting to a new work environment and learned that the key is to be honest and ask questions. You are expected to have no idea what is going on in a new job, that’s why it’s new. New employees are encouraged to be proactive learners and to come in with an open mind ready to absorb new information.

“Understanding and Adapting to New Organizational Culture” by Anita Attridge . 2008

http://www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/Newsletters/METoday/Articles/Understanding_Adapting_New.cfm

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