The Effects of Organisational Socialisation on Individual and Organisational Outcomes: A Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research

Abstract

Organisational socialisation (OS) is a critical process that all employees experience and the efficiency and effectiveness of the OS process impacts on the individual 's ability to adjust and perform, as well as the organisation's capacity to obtain employee commitment and retain staff. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the OS literature that examines the links between the OS process and important individual and organisational outcomes, in order to identify opportunities for further empirical research in this area. From a review of the literature undertaken, it was found that despite the strong arguments supporting the significance of OS and its links to important individual and organisational outcomes, important knowledge 'gaps’ exist in the OS literature. These include knowledge on the relationship between pre-encounter and encounter socialisation, the role of individual differences in newcomer adjustment, and the differences in OS approaches between small and large firms. The review of the literature also found significant methodological weaknesses in the literature. For instance, little research has examined OS from an employer and employee perspective. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research in order to stimulate study into particular aspects of OS.