Adjusting to an Organization

3-stage model of organizational socialization, how would you describe the way you were socialized into an organization where you have worked? Evaluate how well the model fits your experience.

The three stages of the socialization process include anticipatory socialization before entry into the organization (typically in the form of orientation, but which can also take place even in graduate school or through other forms of personal preparation); the encounter with the organization itself; and finally the metamorphosis when the individual has been permanently changed by the socialization process. (Werner & DeSimone 2005) For friends of mine who have entered into very institutionalized workplaces such as law or medicine, this model rings particularly true -- they are socialized by a professional school, by studying to pass licensing exams, and then are subjected to the orientation of the organization itself. By the time they are prepared for the actual encounter, they have endured a liminal period in which their old values are cast off and in which they must anticipate and embrace change. The organization and work ethic is so all-encompassing it changes the way they relate to others permanently and the way they see themselves.

"Socialization is broadly defined as a process in which an individual acquires the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge needed to successfully participate as an organizational member" (Organizational entry, 2014, SHRM). Even though my own participation in organizations has not been quite as overwhelming as some others, it is still noteworthy the extent to which working has changed my values and ethics, instilling the principles of responsibility within me in a more meaningful fashion than I could have ever previously anticipated. Like most employees, I had an orientation: "83% of companies report the use of a formal orientation program for new employees" (Organizational entry, 2014, SHRM). However, the real orientation came in the more subtle forms of inculcation in organizational values. I believe this is true for most people, depending on the nature of the work and who has been hired by the organization. A highly competitive organizational culture rewarded on bonuses will be different from an organizational culture at a school or research institute.