Question

provide 3-4 paragraphs post (team 4)

1-What are 4 key things you learned about the topic from reading their paper?

2-How does the topic relate to you and your current or past job?

3-Critique the paper in terms of the organization and quality.

It’s your first day on the job and you’re ecstatic! You’re ready to burst through those doors, meet your new coworkers, and show everyone what you are capable of. Except this doesn’t happen, you go in and go unnoticed, everyone is focused on their work and acting like you don’t even exist, a matter of fact you don’t even know where to begin. This situation occurs more than we think when new employees are brought into a new organization without proper onboarding training. We chose to discuss the importance of the employee socialization process and how it impacts an organization’s commitment, tenure, and productivity. Prior to hiring new employees, most organizations implement an onboarding program to familiarize the employee with their new coworkers and leaders, training on their daily tasks, and work processes. We will elaborate on the influence of socialization, its positive and negative relationships, the influence of tenure and job performance, the importance of onboarding training for new hires, and its impact on employee performance and productivity. The purpose of the employee socialization process is to acclimate the new hire on work expectations and get a better understanding of the culture and values of the organization.

Have you ever thought about how much time people spend in the office? Gone are the days of the cliché’, “I am only here to work and not to make friends” (Kohll, 2018). It is no wonder building relationships at work is incredibly important for not only the well being of employees themselves but also the productivity within an organization (Kohll, 2018). Socialization stimulates the skills and customs necessary to engage within the corporate culture and motivation needed to connect with others (Kohll, 2018). Therefore, socialization molds the way employees view teamwork, work habits, and collaboration among fellow coworkers (Brown, 2014). In addition, socialization supports new hires adapting and adjusting to their work environment, values and standards (Reio & Callahan, 2004).

Employee candidates are determined by their qualifications and interview process by an organization. However, how does an organization identify if their new hire is the right fit? Organizational socialization is fundamental to ensure new employees connect with the values, norms and other employees of an organization (Cable & Parson, 2001). A study showed that it could be very stressful starting somewhere new (Cable & Parson, 2001). In addition, organizational theorists concluded how an organization manages or fails to manage the initial interaction with newcomers with their roles and other team members could determine the longevity of that employee (Cable & Parson, 2001). This sends a distinct indicator about the organization’s culture (Cable & Parson, 2001). If an employee feels as if they “fit in” they will remain employed, productivity will be beneficial to the organization and committed to upholding the culture, values, and norms of the organization.

The text identifies for employees to work effectively together, everyone in the organization needs to grasp the culture by understanding power, ranking, rewards and incentives, and limitations/rules on certain behaviors (Brown, 2014). Research has shown two approaches to investigating organizational socialization in the workplace, distal and proximal (Reio & Callahan, 2004). Distal relates to the tradition and culture of the organization, answering the question to what is learned (Reio & Callahan, 2004). Proximal relates more to how and why learning occurs in relation to gaining job knowledge and information required to know how to perform one’s daily duties and role (Reio & Callahan, 2004). Socialization is a continuous process, which employees respond to emerging external and internal variables (Reio & Callahan, 2004).

When employees experience organization socialization, they can acclimate to the nature of their organization and learn how to participate in it. When socialization is done properly, it can encourage a positive relationship between an organization and its employees, including commitment (Cohen & Veled-Hecht, 2010). Organizational commitment is a sense of faith and identification in the organization and its mission. Commitment can be expressed in several different ways, such as coming to work on time, being willing to take on different tasks, and staying at the company (Cohen & Veled-Hecht, 2010).

Organizational socialization and commitment directly relate to each other. As employees experience socialization and learn about their organization, they become more dedicated to it (Cohen & Veled-Hecht, 2010). For an organization to develop commitment through socialization, certain things must be taken into consideration. One example of this is organizational justice (Cohen& Veled-Hecht, 2010). Employees must believe that their organization is just and that they will be treated fairly by it before they can become committed to it.

Another aspect to consider is that socialization happens mainly in the beginning phases of employment (Cohen & Veled-Hecht, 2010). During this time, employers have a strong influence on the future commitment of their employees (Cohen & Veled-Hecht, 2010). Organization socialization that takes place later in an employees’ employment has a much weaker effect. Thus, organizations should make developing commitment a priority for new hires.

Organizational commitment and work performance are often examined together. Work performance refers to an individual’s effort and ability at accomplishing a specific task. Research has shown organizational commitment to have a positive effect on performance (Conway & Briner, 2012). Looking at the overall picture, such commitment impacts performance more so on a unit level than a personal level (Conway & Briner, 2012). For example, an employee with a strong commitment to their organization may step up to assist a co-worker who is struggling with a task. While this may not affect the employee’s personal performance, it assists their unit on a whole (Conway & Briner, 2012).

Using this knowledge, an organization can effectively use the process of socialization to improve the performance of their employees’. Employees that are heavily committed to their organization can be used for more than their face value. Rather, they can be utilized to fill in performance gaps left by others as well as improve the camaraderie throughout their department (Conway& Briner, 2012).

Organization socialization, being the process of adjustment and learning that an individual undertakes in the beginning stages of entering an organization, correlates with employee turnover. Socialization, as stated in the book has four steps in the socialization process that continues throughout employment once someone enters an organization. They are the initial expectations, the actual encounters within, adjusting to culture and norms, and lastly, receiving feedback (Ongori, 2007). When initial expectations are not met, it can lead to quick turnover. Turnover, as defined, is the rate employees leave a workplace and are replaced (Ongori, 2007). There is positive and negative turnover, which normally depends on the culture of the organization. Organization culture, in the book, refers to a specific civilization within a society or group.

The socialization process of an organization is so in-depth that any turnover may have a negative relationship associated with it. Turnover is also very costly since it takes so many resources to onboard new employees, including costs of the hiring process and training (Ongori, 2007). When new people cycle in so often, it causes turmoil in the socialization process by constantly adjusting to various individuals, presenting new attitudes and conflict. It disrupts the culture and norms of an organization. It displays a negative outlook on the organization and shows major inconsistency. Therefore, it demonstrates a negative relationship in the socialization process within an organization.

Organization tenure can be defined as the time that an employee holds a position before moving to another position. In most cases, tenure has a favorable relationship with the way an employee performs, which is considered job performance. Although time is not a strong measure of performance, as may be the complexity of a job or a strenuous task attached to a job. The more complex a job is, the more time it takes to acquire proficiency and learn how to solve problems effectively. Human capital theory states that an employee would perform better at their job with tenure due to gathering knowledge and being able to apply it to the tasks at hand. The motivation and job design theory state the contrary, that the longer an employee’s tenure is, the less motivated and high performing they become (Bartomiejczak, 2015).

Traditionally, organizational tenure is favorable when associated with job performance. Over a time period, tenure proves to be less beneficial as the period in office increases. Tenure is more important early on in a career of an employee and is a key motivational factor that contributes to job performance (Bartomiejczak, 2015). At the beginning of 4 to 7 years, tenure is important and directly related to performance but after 10 to 14 years it is completely unrelated (Bartomiejczak, 2015). We believe increased organizational tenure can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety in the workplace, which can develop into certain ramifications such as dissatisfaction. When an employee’s tenure in their current position is not reciprocated with the organization, it forces them to be less motivated to keep their job performance at an optimal level that would be expected. Job performance and tenure are interrelated and hold different outlooks into each scenario.

New hire training is essential in the progress of employees in their roles (Bauer, 2015). The first training employees experience, are to set up expectations and core principles that the company wishes the new employees to learn and embrace (Bauer, 2015). “New employees move from being outsiders to organizational insiders” (Bauer, 2015, pg. 51). It is also very important for making sure new hires begin to learn and communicate together. Individuals beginning their careers together with new hire training are able to socialize, grow and share similar organizational values (Bauer, 2015). There is a higher level of organizational commitment compared to employees that do not attend new hire training (Bauer, 2015).

In today’s world, employees are often changing their jobs with new organizations. Due to this fact, organizations cannot thrive without putting in place a successful organizational socialization process for new hires (Bauer, 2015). There is a direct correlation with the training new hires receive to their work attitude and work ethic. In fact, if the organization instills their core values and strong principles to an employee, the individual will start their role with a positive mindset (Bauer, 2015). “However, ineffective socialization can cause employees to leave their jobs prematurely or ineffectiveness on the job” (Bauer, 2015, pg. 53).

In new hire training, newcomers face multiple uncertainties regarding their roles and responsibilities (Bauer, 2015). New employees come with a mindset to seek information, receive feedback, and build relationships (Bauer, 2015). The duty falls to the employer to provide formal new hire orientation training, realistic previews of the job, and experts that have been with the organization for some time, to ensure the correct message is given to all newcomers (Bauer, 2015). New hires will socially adapt during this time by accepting organizational insiders with the knowledge and culture they need to embrace (Bauer, 2015). The outcomes from this new hire training will be satisfaction, increased performance, less turnover, and serious commitment (Bauer, 2015).

According to the Rachel Silverman from the WSJ, companies should embrace making the first impression for employees more fun (Silverman, 2013). “Companies are turning new hire training to a more collegiate than corporate experience” (Silverman, 2013). During this time, organizational socialization and social adaption of new hires take place. New hire training includes co-worker networking sessions and time for newcomers to build their skills (Silverman, 2013). It’s also a time for a company to show their appreciation for the employee. Employers can encourage new hires to demonstrate what they have to offer to the company (Silverman, 2013). This method enables employees to get to know each other from day one (Silverman, 2013). New hires start learning the skills, abilities, and personalities of their colleagues, which will provide the employee with more confidence when starting their role (Silverman, 2013).

Optimal performance and maximum efficiency by a new employee will not occur until that employee has completed the organization’s socialization process, regardless of how it is designed and operated. Moreover, the organization will not be operating at its maximum efficiency until each employee on the payroll of the organization has achieved optimal performance. From initial orientation, through training and possibly apprenticeships and then performance evaluations, the process will be unique to that organization. Different business models require different processes for socialization. For example, Google has a corporate organizational structure headed by a triumvirate, which collectively oversees “controlled chaos”. Google’s orientation may include a discussion of how regulated mob control works. Compare that with the orientation that a young soldier recruit receives upon arriving at boot camp. There the soldier will participate in several sessions devoted to learning how fast he or she can do what they are told without question. This demonstrates the range of policies, procedures, and levels of complexity that may be involved in adopting an effective socialization process for each organization.

Nevertheless, one element that is common to all socialization processes is the “people dimension”, referred to in “Happiness and Organizational Socialization: Exploring the Mediating Role of Restorative Environments, by Sabbarwal Passi Sachita & Gautam Ruchi”. Allowing workers to develop satisfying and satisfactory working relationships with other members of the workplace will lead to increased individual productivity and organizational efficiency.

In turn, the “people dimension” includes job satisfaction as a strong component. Kort observed that traditional human resources development offices tend to underestimate the dynamic social processes that start with the initial employment orientation (Kort, 2009, pg. 5). Kort went on to conclude, based on collected data, that high-quality relationships have a positive effect on learning and incorporation into the work group and thereby the organization.

An enhanced understanding of the social dynamics at play should be considered of strategic importance to the human resource development office of any organization that is intent on increasing its competitiveness, productivity, and ultimately its profitability. Equally important, the social dynamics will impact the organization’s ability to attract new talent and to retain good talent for the stability of the organization and for future expansion. Employee job satisfaction, at the optimal level, should generate a commitment to the long-term success of the organization. The employee can be given an incentive to operate at a high-performance level, in part, by successfully meeting the challenges presented, supported by management.

Another key component of the job satisfaction social dynamic is the understanding that the employee has regarding advancement in position and salary, based on a fair opportunity. Job security can be tenuous at best in today’s economy and the more secure employees feel about their current and future prospects, less attention can be paid to those concerns and more attention paid to the important business of the company.

            The objective of the organization is to implement the employee socialization process in the beginning of a new hire’s employment. This is a crucial aspect of the onboarding process for the preparation and productivity of a new employee. We discovered that choosing to implement socialization early on in a new employee’s development is beneficial to their future and the organization as well. It is the organization’s duty to maintain a positive relationship between the employee’s commitment and performance to reduce turnover, since it is costly. Taking you back to the first day at your new job, imagine if you received proper onboard training and how smooth it would be to transition and feel comfortable around your peers. You might enjoy going to work! Therefore, we recommend building relationships and applying the employee socialization process early on to ensure career development and longevity.

Answer 1

1) The paper discusses about the importance of employee socialization process. The purpose of the employee socialization process is to acclimate the new hire on work expectations and get a better understanding of the culture and values of the organization. Four key things that I have learned about the topic after reading this paper are as follows:

a) Socialization stimulates the skills and customs necessary to engage within the corporate culture and motivation needed to connect with others.

b) Socialization supports new hires adapting and adjusting to their work environment, values and standards. This helps them to increase their productivity.

c) Organizational socialization and commitment directly relate to each other. As employees experience socialization and learn about their organization, they become more dedicated to it. Organizations should make developing commitment a priority for new hires.

d) Organizational socialization helps to reduce employee turnover. Employee turnover is very costly since it takes so many resources to onboard new employees, including costs of the hiring process and training.

So, we have learned about the importance of the employee socialization process and how it impacts an organization’s commitment, tenure, and productivity by reading this paper.

2) The paper relates well with my current job. My current job is my first job and I have been associated with this organization since last ten years. Its my pleasure being associated with this organization. From the very first day, i have felt that my workplace is my second home. The onboarding training for new hires has helped me to associate well with my organization. I have been able to understand my duties well & have always delivered results that are expected from me. The way in which I have been groomed up here has significantly increased my commitment & dedication towards my organization. The organizational socialization process helped me to associate well with my co-workers & identify my skills & boost my productivity, to remain always dedicated towards my work & positively contribute towards the success of the organization. Its been a wonderful experience working here & I wish to remain associated with this organization in future as well.

3) The better the employee socialization process at an organization, the better the quality of employees working in it & also it will be able to attract high quality employees. Employee socialization process in an organization significantly improves employee commitment, tenure & productivity. The social dynamics will impact the organization’s ability to attract new talent and to retain good talent for the stability of the organization and for future expansion. Employee socilaization process is beneficial to both the employees as well as the organization. Organizational socialization is fundamental to ensure new employees connect with the values, norms and other employees of an organization. This process improves employee job satisfaction. Employee job satisfaction, at the optimal level, should generate a commitment to the long-term success of the organization. Therefore, we recommend building relationships and applying the employee socialization process early on to ensure career development and longevity. The organization & the quality of the work that it delivers through its skillful employees improves significantly due to employee socialization process. It is a very important process.