Reviewing two sides of the socialization literature: A comprehensive theoretical model of social receptivity of newcomers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature that investigated the socialization process, considering different perspectives and highlighting existing gaps. Ultimately, proposing a comprehensive theoretical model of social receptivity of newcomers. In the first part, the focus is on the flourishing literature that examined the newcomer’s perspective of socialization, which was depicted as a learning or an adaptation process. In the second part, the studies that investigated the co-workers’ perspective during the socialization process are reported. The social receptivity to a new member is interpreted as the resulting of two levels: the newcomer characteristics and the co-workers’ characteristics. In the third and last part, relying on the two lines of research reviewed, it is proposed a model of the socialization process, in which the two levels of analysis predict social receptivity. In turn, social receptivity should intervene in enhancing newcomer adjustment, as depicted by proximal (role clarity, self-efficacy, knowledge of organizational culture, and stress) and distal (job attitudes, engagement, performance, and turnover) outcomes.