Assimilation Process

Chapter Seven

What is Assimilation?

• Jablin: Assimilation is “those ongoing behavioral and cognitive processes by which individuals join, become integrated into and exit organizations”

Models of Organizational Socialization

• Phases of Socialization• Anticipatory Socialization

• Socialization that occurs before entry into the organization. Encompasses both socialization to an occupation and socialization to an organization. (p. 146)

• Encounter• Sensemaking stage that occurs when a new employee enters

the organization. The newcomer must let go of old roles and values in adapting to the expectations of the new organization. (p. 149)

• Metamorphosis• The state reached at the “completion” of the socialization

process. The new employee is now accepted as an organizational insider. (p. 150)

Content of Socialization

• “What must be learned in order to adapt to the organizational context.” (p. 150)• Role related information- “information, skills,

procedures, and rules that that an individual must grasp in order to perform on the job.” (p. 150)

• Organizational Culture-Not much formal documentation. Must rely on observation of behaviors, stories and “memorable messages”. (p. 151)

Summary of Socialization Models

• Phase Models- help to understand “when” employees become socialized• Anticipatory• Encounter• Metamorphasis

• Content Models- help to understand the “what” of socialization• Role related information• Organizational Culture

Communication Process During Assimilation

The Employment Interview• Three functions

• Interviewer uses to recruit new employees

• Recruit uses interview to learn more about the company

• Serves as first Socialization tool

The Interview as a Recruiting and Screening Tool

• Organization must “make assessments of interviewee’s background, knowledge, motivation, communication skills and personality.” (p. 153)

• Most interviewers gather information in a structured way (start with close ended questions, end interview with open ended questions (p. 154)

• There is a great deal of variability between interviews for different companies and industries. (p. 153)

The Interview as an Information-Gathering Tool

(p. 154-155)

• The interview provides a glimpse of a possible future employer• “Applicant satisfaction with and interview is a good predictor

of acceptance of second interviews” (Ralston, 1993)• If probing questions are asked, the recruit perceives the

interviewer to be an empathic listener (McComb & Jablin, 1984)

• Applicants are more satisfied with open ended questions that allow them to share more about themselves (Jablin & Miller, 1990)

• “Interviewees receiving second interview offers were likely to be those who confined their questions during the interview to job- related issues.” (Babbitt& Jablin, 1985)

The Interview as a Tool for Socialization

• “The employment interview can serve to ease a newcomer’s adaptation to the organization should she or he be offered a job.” (p. 155)

• RJP-Realistic job previews• “If new recruits are provided a realistic

picture of their future job, they will be less likely to be disappointed if inflated expectations are not met.” (p. 155)

Newcomer Information Seeking Tactics (p. 156)

Overt Questions

Newcomer solicits information by asking direct questions of information targets

Indirect Questions

Newcomer solicits information by asking non-interrogative questions or by hinting

Third Parties Newcomer solicits information by asking a secondary source (e.g. coworker) rather than primary source (e.g. supervisor)

Testing Limits Newcomer solicits information by breaking or deviating from organizational rules and observing reactions

Disguising Conversations

Newcomer solicits information-seeking attempt as a natural part of the coversation

Observing Newcomer solicits information by watching behavior in salient situations

Surveillance Newcomer solicits information by making sense of the observed behavior

Role Development Process

• Role-Development Process

• Role-Taking Phase

• Role-Making Phase

• Role-Routinization Phase

Organizational Exit

• Reasons it is important• Demographic

• More people reaching retirement age

• Economic• Global Marketplace is filled with mergers, acquisitions,

bankruptcies and downsizing

• Social• Increasingly mobile society• More occupational identification than organizational

identification

Organizational Exit Generalizations (p. 162)

• Is a, “process, not an event”. • “Influences both those who leave and those

left behind”• “Can have profound effects on the families of

those who leave the organization”• “Communication plays a critical role in the

disengagement process.”

Reference

• Miller, Katherine. “Assimilation Processes”. Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes (4th ed.) Thomson/ Wadsworth: United States. (2006) pp. 145-168.

Goodbye