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Newcomer Socialization: Critical Incidents in Hospitality Organizations

Cornell University

Cheri A. Young

Cornell University

Upon entry into an organization, newcomers are plunged into a "strange new world." Uncertain and anxious, newcomers undergo the process of organizational socialization, seeking information to understand and accept the requirements of their new organizational role in terms of values, beliefs, abilities, and expected behaviors. Much of the research in organizational socialization has focused on investigating the intentional socialization tactics used by organizations to orient newcomers, such as training and orientation programs. Such a focus, however, assumes the information organizations purposefully produce for newcomers is the only information newcom ers use to comprehend their surroundings. By employing the use of critical incidents, evidence is provided that such assumptions may be short-sighted. The organiza tional newcomers surveyed indicated that, of all the types of information they attend to, critical incidents involving training and orientation were not the most important. Such evidence lends support to the notion that newcomers look everywhere forclues - not just in orientation and training programs.

Key Words: Key words: socialization • organiza tional entry • sense making • critical incidents.

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