A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Newcomer Proactive Behaviors on Socialization Outcomes

Abstract

The rapid changes of organizations (e.g., restructuring, mergers, and downsizing) and employees’ boundaryless career development have raised the significance of newcomer proactivity in optimizing their socialization. Especially following the COVID-19 outbreak, the limited tactics taken on the organizations’ part have led newcomer proactivity to be more salient in adjustment processes. Although newcomer proactive behaviors are gaining popularity in organizational socialization research, findings on the effects of these behaviors are fragmented and mixed. Rooted in the newcomer proactivity literature and leveraging Socialization Resources Theory (SRT), we proposed and meta-analytically examined how proactive behaviors that are frequently conducted by newcomers (i.e., sensemaking, relationship building, positive framing, and job change negotiation) relate to various socialization outcomes (i.e., role clarity, social integration, task mastery, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance, and turnover intention). Based on 47 independent samples (total n = 12321), this meta-analysis indicates that, overall, newcomer proactive behaviors are beneficial for newcomer socialization. Relative weights analysis suggests that positive framing is the strongest predictor of six out of seven socialization outcomes, while relationship building accounted for the most variance explained in social integration. Finally, job change negotiation was the weakest predictor of socialization outcomes. The implications of the findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research were discussed.