Socialization and organizational outcomes of information technology professionals

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined how six institutionalized socialization tactics affect a particular occupation of knowledge workers – information technology (IT) professionals' role adjustment (role conflict and role ambiguity) and organizational attachment variables (job satisfaction, affective commitment, continuance commitment and intention to quit).

Design/methodology/approach

The research model and hypotheses were tested using path analysis techniques with survey data collected from 187 recently hired IT professionals.

Findings

The results showed that the six socialization tactics affected IT professionals differently. Socialization tactics that recognize employees' values and skills (investiture tactics) and that emphasize the interpersonal and mentoring aspects (serial tactics) had the most significant effects on employees' role adjustment and organizational attachment. The study also revealed complex mediating relationships among socialization tactics, role adjustment and organizational attachment variables.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights about the differential effects of the various socialization tactics on IT professionals' role adjustment and organizational attachment. It also sheds light on the complex mediating relationships among socialization tactics, role adjustment and organizational attachment variables. Without considering the logical relationships between the various variables, studies examining the direct effects of socialization on isolated organizational outcome variables may overlook important linkages that are critical for explaining the inconsistent results in past empirical studies.

Citation

King, R.C., Xia, W., Campbell Quick, J. and Sethi, V. (2005), "Socialization and organizational outcomes of information technology professionals", Career Development International, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 26-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430510577619