1.  
Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, COMS 404

3.  ―Organizational socialization is an inherent
interactional, communicative process—the
self socialization attempts of the
organizational member affect and are
affected by the attempts of the organization
to socialize the new member (Griffin,
Colella, & Goparaju, 2000)‖
o Modaff, Butler, & Dewine, 2012, p. 147
 ―As communication practices, socialization
processes both shape interaction and are
shaped through interaction over time‖
(Gomez, 2009)
Think about
it…
Examine the
organization
you selected
for the
semester.
What
information
can you find
about their
new member
socialization
processes?

4.  Organizational structure is not a concrete entity, but it is
produced as people interact on a daily basis, attempting
to accomplish individual and collective purposes
This can be a little tricky to get the first time around.
Basically, Giddens was saying that structure happens on
both a MACRO and MICRO level
Structure on the MACRO level is the organization. This
type of structure is the way we socially interact AND the
outcome of how we interact -> Meaning we both create
the environment by our interactions AND have an
environment.
Structure on the MICRO level would be represented by our
individual social interactions.
SO…Behavior and structure are intertwined!

5. Although we can’t see it, both
sides MUST be present. They
co-exist to make up the coin.
A coin cannot
exist without
BOTH sides
Both STRUCTURE and AGENTS in the
structure are related. They co-exist.

6.  Organizational structure is NOT concrete. It is produced,
it changes, it mediates and even constrains later
interactions
 Principles
o Agency: Members daily actions create structure. Members are
knowledgeable and know their interactions either maintain or
change existing organizational structure
o Awareness: Members have different levels of awareness
• Discursive consciousness – some activities/feelings are easily
explained by individuals
• Practical consciousness – some experiences, behaviors, and
feelings are not easily put into words

7.  Principles (continued)
o Rules/practices: Routinized practices shape structure.
• These are the activities/behaviors members engage in without being
aware they are doing them
o Power: Part of interactions and used to accomplish outcomes
• Power may involve domination/control (focus on action)
• Every individual has SOME degree of power on the structure
and how it operates
o Unintended consequences:
• Individual actions CAN result in
unintended consequences
• For example, we CAN control how we
interact with others, but we CANNOT
control how they will respond/react.
Think about it…
What routinized practices
have you performed as a
member of an organization?
Do those practices impact
organizational structure?

8.  The theory of structuration highlights the centrality of
communication and interaction to organizational life.
 If organizational members do indeed have agency in
organizational life, then the possibilities of individual
member’s choices and actions being in sync with each
other are low.
 As members enact their agency, they will produce
unintended consequences.
Think about it…
We’ve examined a lot about
misunderstandings this semester. Consider
how communication fits into the connection
between structuration and
misunderstandings.

9.  A new employee NEEDS information.
o Information about tasks.
o Cultural information (often vague/implied)
Organizations spend LESS time
communicating their cultures, mission, and
values, than they do explaining the details of
tasks.

10.  Communication can
reduce uncertainty
 The more uncertain
(equivocal) the
message, the more
the recipient needs
help from others to
understand it (Weick,
1979)
 Communication
strategies HELP
increase certainty
 When a situation is
clear, members rely
on rules to guide
behavior
 When a situation is
unclear, members
have difficulty
understanding and
following rules

11.  Being ―different‖ from the dominant group in the
organization can create additional barriers to being
successful
o Differences may be the result of our race, gender, age, religion,
ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, language, political views,
etc.
 As new members assimilate, they may feel the need to
downplay their culture and adopt the culture of the
organization (―selling out‖)

12.  Blank & Slipp (2000) guidelines for
buying in instead of selling out
o Your fundamental value system, that
which you hold close to your heart, is
the final arbiter of ―right‖.
o If you know yourself—that is, have
validated your talents, skills, and
abilities—and perform a function or
accept a position well beneath your
talents, you could be in danger of
―selling out.‖
o If you accept, without question, the
culture of an organization that flaunts its
discrimination against or disrespect for
your culture, you could be in danger of
―selling out.‖

13.  Compare what you are learning to the
―traditional‖ organizations that spend effort on
precise actions
 Consider ―humanistic‖ organizations and
their beliefs about knowing employees

14.  Assimilation is the
process by which an
individual becomes
integrated into the
culture of an
organization
(Jablin, 2001)
 Two inter-related
processes
Planned and unintentional efforts by the
organization to ―socialize‖ employees
Attempts of organizational members to
―individualize‖ or change roles and work
environment to better fit their values,
attitudes, and needs

15.  Assimilation and Socialization are NOT the same terms
 Assimilation may be based upon three assumptions
(Bullis & Stout, 2000)
1. Individuals AND organizations are active agents in assimilation
• They influence each other
• Socialization is HALF of the assimilation process—along with
individualization efforts by the new member
2. Organizations are ―bounded‖ entities
• We adopt language of insiders/outsiders
• Individuals cross through a boundary to/from an organization
3. Assimilation occurs in phases
• Anticipatory socialization
• Encounter
• Metamorphisis

16.  New member forms expectations
of what it would be like to be a
member of the organization
o Vocational anticipatory socialization
• Information gathered during childhood and adolescence
o Organizational anticipatory socialization
• Information intentionally and unintentionally gathered as
job seeker interacts with potential employing organization
(from a variety of sources)
Think about it…
The word ―anticipate‖
is key in the phrase.

17.  This entry phase takes place as the new member begins to
confront the reality of his or her organizational role.
o ―I’m new, but I don’t know all of the ―insider‖ stuff that everyone else
knows‖
 Information shared in formal orientation programs,
socialization strategies, training programs, formal/informal
mentoring, media sources, etc.
 Depending on their levels of uncertainty, newcomers may try
to learn more through:
Overt questioning Indirect questioning
Third-party questioning Testing
Disguising conversations Observations
Surveillance
Think about it…
What strategies have you
used? Why? Did they
work?

18.  Organizational identification involves an individual's sense of
members in and connection with an organization
o Kenneth Burke, George Cheney, Phillip Tompkins
 Sources of identification for an organizational member
o IntraOrganizational Sources (work teams, departments, unions, lunch
groups, supervisor, etc.)
o ExtraOrganizational Sources (family, customers, influential public
figures, the media, etc.)
 Targets: organizational members a person looks to for
connection
 Pulls: organizations or groups seeking to connect with
newcomer
 Disidentification: seeking separateness, disconnection,
exclusion
 Related to job satisfaction, performance, decision making,

19.  Final phase
 New member begins to CHANGE some of his/her
behaviors and expectations in order to meet the
standards of the new environment
 Alter the requirements of his/her role to match his/her
needs, desires, and skills
Consider a time you were in phase 3 as
you joined an organization. Explore
your feelings, emotions, and reactions
to this memory and the information
about this phase

20.  The process by which an individual acquires the social
knowledge and skills necessary to assume an
organizational role (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979)
o How an organization socializes newcomers affect how the
newcomer reacts to the organization and her/his role in it
 Loyalty
o Affects socialization
o Moral obligation to engage in a mode of conduct reflecting
loyalty and duty
 Congruency
o Affects socialization
o Congruency between core values held by organization and those
of individual

21. Custodial Response
 Newcomer accepts the
role as it is presented
 Does not question the
status quo
Innovative Response
 Newcomer makes
changes to knowledge
base/strategy associated
with the role
 Redefines the purpose of
role functions

22. Collective Individual
Formal Informal
Sequential Random
Fixed
Serial
Investiture
Variable
Disjunctive
Divestiture

23.  Employees should collect LOTS of information about the
organization
 Managers should actively monitor the progress of new
employees during initial days
 New employees should assess how much of their culture
they may need to set aside to adopt the organization’s
culture
 Managers should consider what works best for the new
employee
REMEMBER: The socialization process in organizations is
critical to maintaining a dedicated, loyal workforce.

24. What are your feelings
about socialization and
assimilation?
Think of your current
organizational
involvement. Based on
your reading, how
can/should processes
be changed?