Disentangling the roles of pre-entry realistic information and socialization tactics in newcomers’ adjustment

In response to the call of N. Anderson (2001) to bridge the gap between research on recruitment/ selection and research on socialization, this study analyzes how realistic information given to applicants during the recruitment procedure and socialization tactics implemented to facilitate their integration influence four indicators of adjustment, namely organizational affective commitment, trust in the organization, work satisfaction and intent to stay in the organization. Previous evidence showed that realistic job preview or realism of pre-entry knowledge reduced the “reality shock” and was associated to higher satisfaction and commitment several months after entry (Klein, Fan & Preacher, 2006). Moreover, institutionalized socialization tactics (Jones, 1986) were also significantly related to better work adjustment (Saks, Uggerslev & Fassina, 2007). However, to our knowledge, no study has simultaneously tested these two organizational practices to tease apart their respective roles. In addition, we investigate if the expected positive influence of pre-entry realistic information and of post-entry socialization tactics could be explained by a lower level of psychological contract violation. Previous research on realistic job preview has mainly investigated met expectations as an explanatory mechanism whereas studies on socialization tactics have highlighted the mediating role of proactive behaviours. Both lines of research have also been driven by a learning perspective, considering that the pre-entry information and the socialization tactics help newcomers learn specific contents about their role and their organizational environment. Drawing upon Morrison and Robinson’s model (1997, 2000), we argue that the positive effects of pre-entry information and socialization tactics could also be explained their shared role of reducing misunderstandings between newcomers and employers regarding their mutual obligations and by a higher level of perceived inducements delivered by the employer, therefore, by a reduction of psychological contract violation. Our hypotheses were tested on a sample of 155 newcomers entering three large Belgian organizations who were surveyed three times during their first year of employment. Pre-entry information was measured during the first week after entry whereas the three dimensions of socialization tactics (context, content and social dimensions) were assessed six months later. Finally, psychological contract violation as well as socialization outcomes were measured after one year of employment. Regression analysis showed that both pre-entry information and socialization tactics, when considered together, were associated with less psychological contract violation. They positively predicted organizational trust and job satisfaction through the partial mediation of violation. Affective commitment was only predicted by pre-entry information, through the partial mediation of violation, whereas intent to stay was exclusively related to violation. Additional analyses of indirect effects (Sobel test and bootstrapping) were used to test the separate effect of pre-entry information and socialization tactics on outcomes through violation. These analyses showed more mixed results as regards the role of pre-entry information but supported the positive effect of socialization tactics, especially of the social dimension, on the outcomes. These results have theoretical as well as practical implications regarding the optimal equilibrium between giving realistic information to applicants and designing orientation programs that minimize newcomers’ psychological contract violation and facilitate their work adjustment