Identifying the Outcomes of Socialization: Two Studies.

The outcomes of the process of organizational socialization have been inadequately defined and researched. This report contains a review of outcomes mentioned or measured by past researchers, followed by two studies intended to identify outcomes. The first consists of a factor analysis of many measures used as outcomes in past research, for the purpose of identifying underlying dimensions of adjustment to organizations, Nineteen outcome measures could be reduced to four or five factors. The second study utilized qualitative data on outcomes perceived by new organization members. Outcome categories derived from these data reproduced some previously used outcomes resolution of role conflict, mutual influence, performance did not include other commonly measured outcomes job satisfaction, job involvement, internal work motivation, innovation, commitment and revealed several new outcome constructs self-confidence, independence in action, changed use of questions, tolerance of change, having a system, conveying confidence. Author