Chapter 7 : Socialization Processes

Summary from Textbook:

Three approaches are looked at when the processes, of which individuals and organizations adapt to each other, are looked at. These are:

• Assimilation- the ongoing behavioural and cognitive processes by which individuals join, become integrated into, and exit organizations


• Socialization- the adaptation of individuals through formal and informal socialization processes


• Individualization- the changing of aspects of the organization to better suit the needs, abilities or desires of the employee

There are several phases of socialization, as adaptation of the employee to the organization is not immediately:

• Anticipatory socialization- the processes that occur before the individual enters the organization


• Encounter- when the employee first encounters life on the job


• Metamorphosis- when the employee is fully accepted in the organization

It was suggested that there are several processes that an individual must undergo when entering the organization:

• Developing a familiarity with others


• Acculturating- learning the culture of the organization


• Feeling recognized by others


• Becoming involved in the organization


• Developing job competency


• Role negotiation

There are several communication processes during socialization, and one of them is the employment interview. This is most commonly used due to several reasons:

• The interview as a recruiting and screening tool- this serves to act as a way of gathering information on behalf of the organization by the interviewer on the interviewee


• The interview as an information-gathering tool- the interviewee also views the interview as a way to gather information about his future work place


• The interview as a tool for socialization- it serves as a tool to ease a newcomer’s adaptation to the organization once he is accepted

The second communication process is the newcomer information-seeking tactic. This is done through several ways: overt questioning, indirect questioning, third party information source, testing limits, disguising information, observation and surveillance.

The final communication process is the role-development process. This is done through several interrelated phases:

• Role-taking phase- the phase in which talents and motivations of the member is discovered by the superior through iterative testing sequences


• Role-making phase- negotiations about the roles required of by the member between both superior and member


• Role-routinization phase- where both roles and expected behaviours on both sides are understood by each other

Although entering the organization is important, one has to consider the exiting of the organization as being important as well. There are several generalizations about communication during the exit process:

• A process anticipated by either employer or employee


• Influences both who leave and those who stay


• Effects on families of those who leave the organization


• Communication from sources that may promote exits, and social support in helping to relieve stress of leaving.

This chapter is linked to chapter 3, as it talks about how an employee would socialize with his/her co-workers in the workplace, and how some people are told before and after leaving the organization. This would help the worker to integrate himself into the culture at the workplace, thus making him adapt quicker.

Reference:

Miller, K 2009, Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes, 6^th edition, Belmont, CA, Wadsworth Publishing Company.