Organizational socialization tactics and newcomer proactive behaviors: An integrative study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational socialization tactics, newcomers’ self-efficacy, proactive behaviors, and socialization outcomes. Based on a sample of 140 co-op university students who completed surveys at the end of their work term, the results indicated that newcomers’ self-efficacy and institutionalized socialization tactics were positively related to newcomer proactive behaviors. The results also indicated that newcomer proactive behaviors partially mediated the relationship between their self-efficacy and organizational socialization tactics with a number of proximal and distal socialization outcomes. Furthermore, feedback-seeking and information-seeking moderated the relationship between socialization tactics and several socialization outcomes. Institutionalized socialization tactics were more strongly related to socialization outcomes for newcomers who engaged in less feedback-seeking and information-seeking behavior. These results support an interactionist approach to organizational socialization in which newcomers’ self-efficacy, proactive behavior, and organizational socialization tactics all contribute to newcomers’ adjustment and socialization.     

Evaluating a Contextual Model of Responses to Relational Uncertainty Increasing Events

This study formulates and tests a contextual model of communication about events that increase relational uncertainty within courtship (N = 278 participants). Intimacy is examined as a feature of the distal context, and appraisals and emotions are investigated as features of the proximal context. As expected, intimacy coincided with positively‐valenced behaviors (Hypothesis 1). Appraisals also explained variance in behaviors (Hypothesis 2), especially attentional activity, relevance, obstacle, power, and legitimacy (Research Question 1). With some exceptions, emotions predicted behaviors beyond the effects of appraisals (Hypothesis 3, Research Question 2). Emotions partially mediated the association between appraisals and behaviors (Hypothesis 4), but intimacy, appraisals, and emotions were all unique predictors of behaviors (Hypothesis 5), and intimacy did not moderate the effects of appraisals or emotions on behaviors (Research Question 3). Although the pattern of covariation was consistent across the self‐reported and hypothetical events, the self‐reported events generated more negatively‐valenced appraisals, emotions, and behaviors than the hypothetical events (Research Question 4). The discussion examines how knowledge can accumulate by assimilating features of the distal and proximal contexts.     

Influence tactics and salary attainment: A gender-specific analysis

In this article the linkages between upward influence tactics and salary attainment were studied within the context of observed salary differences between men and women. The data for this field study were gathered from 212 male and 82 female business school graduates. Annual salary was regressed on a set of control variables and six dimensions of upward influence. Separate salary equations were estimated for men and women, and used to study sex-based salary differentials. The results indicated that even though there were few mean differences between men and women in terms of person-centered attributes, the characteristics of employing organizations, or the use of upward influence styles, women earned less than men. The set of upward influence tactics uniquely accounted for variation in salaries for both men and women, and there was evidence of gender specificity in the salarly allocation process. The usefulness of considering upward influence tactics when studying the salary allocation process is emphasized, particularly when the goal is to understand observed salary differences between men and women.     

Making the Best of a Bad Situation: Proactive Coping with Racial Discrimination

Proactive coping with racial discrimination takes three forms: self-focused coping, situation-focused coping, and avoidance. Overall, African Americans used self-focused coping more than situation-focused coping or physical avoidance, though there were interesting differences between retrospective recall of racial discrimination and daily reports. Relative to reports during the diary week, when recalling how they typically dealt with racial discrimination, African Americans overestimated their use of situation-focused strategies and underestimated their use of self-focused strategies. For both retrospective and daily reports, proactive coping was positively related to primary appraisals of harm but unrelated to secondary appraisals of resources. African American identification, but not stigma consciousness or optimism, was uniquely associated with proactive coping. We discuss the potential benefits and limitations of proactive coping with racial discrimination.     

Future work self and career adaptability in the prediction of proactive career behaviors

This study examined the motivational resource of future work self salience and the additive effect of career adaptability dimensions in the prediction of career planning, proactive skill development, and proactive career networking in a sample of university students (N = 113). It was hypothesized that greater clarity of future work self would predict engagement in each of the proactive career behaviors and that specific dimensions of career adaptability would have an additive effect in predicting particular proactive career behavior in line with the theory of career construction. Results indicated that future work self predicted career planning and that career concern had an additive effect. Future work self also predicted proactive skill development and proactive career networking. However, career confidence and career curiosity mediated these relationships in the prediction of skill development and networking respectively. In sum, results suggest that future work self and career adaptability play an influential role in the engagement of proactive career behavior.     

Socialization preferences and intentions: Does one size fit all?

The purpose of this study was to investigate student preferences for socialization tactics and their intentions to be proactive when they begin a new job. We examined the relationship between the Five Factor Model of personality and proactive personality with socialization tactics preferences and proactive behavior intentions in a sample of 243 undergraduate university students enrolled in a cooperative management program. The results indicate that personality predicts preferences for socialization tactics and intentions to be proactive. In particular, individuals high on agreeableness prefer institutionalized socialization tactics and individuals high on extraversion and proactive personality report higher intentions to be proactive when they begin a new job. These results suggest that one size does not fit all newcomers when it comes to socialization. The implications for research and practice before and after organizational entry are discussed.     

Influences on Newcomers' Adjustment Tactic Use

In recent years, organizational socialization research has focused increasingly on the tactics that newcomers use to guide their own adjustment. Various subsets of adjustment tactics have been studied, with minimal rationale as to why newcomers would use different behaviors. We present a typology for newcomer adjustment tactics, comprising opportunistic, self‐determined, and shared behaviors, to categorize and integrate all newcomer adjustment tactics identified to date. Next, we propose a model in which tactic use is a function of cost–benefit analyses – on performance, ego, and social dimensions – influenced by individual and contextual factors. This integrates the diverse literatures on socialization, adjustment, information seeking, feedback seeking, and coping. Integrating our initial tactics categorization and the cost–benefit model, we present a robust set of propositions that inform newcomers' perceptions and use of adjustment tactics. We conclude by presenting theoretical and practical implications for newcomer adjustment.     

The Dynamic Nature of Goals and Message Production as Revealed in a Sequential Analysis of Conflict Interactions

Although message‐production theories often assume that goals behave dynamically to direct communication behavior, few studies consider the interconnectedness of goals and behavior throughout interactions. Here, the interrelationship of communication goals and tactics was examined through a sequential analysis of 47 conflict interactions between close friends or dating partners. It was posited that for both the initiators and resistors in a conflict, the importance of relational or other‐identity goals would be associated with the use of integrative tactics and the importance of instrumental or self‐identity goals would be related to the use of distributive tactics. We examined these predictions within and across partners. Analyses indicated that for both conflict initiators and resistors, the importance of a combination self/instrumental goal predicted the use of distributive tactics and the importance of an other‐identity goal lead to partner‐oriented tactics. For resistors, the importance of an instrumental goal was associated with the use of distributive tactics and the importance of a combination identity/relational goal was aligned with issue‐oriented tactics as well. Across partners, several significant patterns between one partner’s use of distributive or integrative tactics and the other partner’s goals were observed. Implications of the results for understanding conflict and message production are discussed.     

Aggression and the Risk for Suicidal Behaviors among Children

Two subtypes of aggression—reactive and proactive—were examined to see how they relate to suicidal behaviors among young children admitted for acute psychiatric inpatient care. The children and their parents completed self‐report questionnaires/interviews. Regression analyses revealed that depressed girls who scored higher on reactive aggression reported more suicidal behaviors; whereas proactive aggression did not relate to suicidal behaviors for either boys or girls.     

Association Between Proactive Personality and Academic Self–Efficacy

Research about organizations has consistently revealed that proactive personality is a relatively stable disposition and a significant antecedent of self-efficacy, which generates employees’ proactive behavior and thus benefits individuals and firms. Consequently, the present study aimed to examine whether the relationship between proactive personality, a general temperamental tendency, and specific self-efficacy that is focused on certain activities or tasks might emerge across contexts in an education setting with a directional effect. From a sample of 123 students, we employed a longitudinal approach using two waves of surveys to examine the directional relations between students’ proactive personalities and their academic self–efficacy in education. The results showed that students’ proactive personalities at Time 1 predicted change in their academic self–efficacy at Time 2, suggesting a top–down relationship. On the contrary students’ academic self–efficacy at Time 1 could not predict their proactive personalities at Time 2. In short, the directional effect of proactive personality on self–efficacy across contexts was captured in this study. Implications and limitations were discussed.     

动机与情境对不同自控水平儿童学业求助的影响

本实验以小学儿童为被试,研究了在不同动机取向和情境条件下的不同自我控制水平儿童的学业求助行为。结果表明：（１）单独无自尊压力的解难题情境比群体压力情境导致更多的求助行为。（２）低自控儿童比高自控儿童产生更多的执行性求助,但主要表现在单独无自尊压力的情境下。（３）在群体压力情境下,自我卷入的儿童比任务卷入的儿童表现出更多的求助行为。（４）在单独无自尊压力的情境下,任务卷入的儿童比自我卷入的儿童表现出     

Appraisal patterns of envy and related emotions

Envy is a frustrating emotion that arises from upward social comparison. Two studies investigated the appraisals that distinguish benign envy (aimed at improving one's own situation) from malicious envy (aimed at pulling down the superior other). Study 1 found that appraisals of deservingness and control potential differentiated both types of envy. We manipulated these appraisals in Study 2 and found that while both did not influence the intensity of envy, they did determine the type of envy that resulted. The more a situation was appraised as undeserved, the more participants experienced malicious envy. Benign envy was experienced more when the situation was not undeserved, and the most when the situation was appraised as both deserved and controllable. The current research also clarifies how the types of envy differ from the related emotions admiration and resentment.     

Testing the developmental distinctiveness of male proactive and reactive aggression with a nested longitudinal experimental intervention

An experimental preventive intervention nested into a longitudinal study was used to test the developmental distinctiveness of proactive and reactive aggression. The randomized multimodal preventive intervention targeted a subsample of boys rated disruptive by their teachers. These boys were initially part of a sample of 895 boys, followed from kindergarten to 17 years of age. Semiparametric analyses of developmental trajectories for self‐reported proactive and reactive aggression (between 13 and 17 years of age) indicated three trajectories for each type of aggression that varied in size and shape (Low, Moderate, and High Peaking). Intent‐to‐treat comparisons between the boys in the prevention group and the control group confirmed that the preventive intervention between 7 and 9 years of age, which included parenting skills and social skills training, could impact the development of reactive more than proactive aggression. The intervention effect identified in reactive aggression was related to a reduction in self‐reported coercive parenting. The importance of these results for the distinction between subtypes of aggressive behaviors and the value of longitudinal‐experimental studies from early childhood onward is discussed. Aggr. Behav. 36:127–140, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Socialization tactics, employee proactivity, and person-organization fit

This study examined the linkage between organizational socialization tactics and person-organization (P-O) fit and examined the moderating influence of employees' proactivity behaviors. Results from a sample of 279 employee-supervisor pairs from 7 organizations in South Korea revealed a positive relationship between institutionalized socialization tactics and P-O fit perceptions. However, the association between firms' socialization tactics and P-O fit was facilitated or negated by several proactive behaviors that employees used to gain control over their environment. For example, employees' positive framing harmonized with institutional tactics to create higher P-O fit, whereas employees who proactively developed strong relationships with their supervisors essentially replaced institutionalized socialization tactics.     

Status Seeking and Manipulative Self‐presentation

Three studies examine the relation of dispositional status‐seeking with workplace self‐presentation behaviors. The first study showed that the status‐seeking motive provided incremental prediction, over and above narcissism and self‐monitoring, in self‐reported exaggerating, faking, and fabricating in job search. The second study showed that, after controlling for the traits from the five factor model of personality, status‐seeking predicted the undesirable job‐search behaviors, as well as use of impression‐management tactics at work. A field study showed that employee status seeking explained supervisor impressions of employee supplication and ingratiation, even after controlling for task and contextual performance. Male status‐seekers were also more likely to engage in intimidation. Status‐seeking appears to be an important motive for understanding manipulative self‐presentation at work.     

The Perils of Success in the Workplace: Comparison Target Responses to Coworkers' Upward Comparison Threat1

This field study investigated the coping behaviors utilized by award‐winning real‐estate agents who, as a consequence of their outperformance, perceived that they were the targets of threatening upward comparisons by those they had outperformed. We hypothesized that outperformers' comparison target discomfort (i.e., discomfort associated with being a target of upward comparisons) would moderate the relationships between comparison threat experienced by those outperformed and outperformers' modest self‐presentation, avoidance behaviors, and socially motivated underachievement. Our results provide partial (and counterintuitive) support for our hypotheses, confirming that comparison target discomfort plays a complex role in determining outperformers' behavioral responses to being the target (real or imagined) of upward comparisons.     

Adverse work experiences and marital outcomes in middle years: Role of self‐esteem

This study assesses the decade‐long influence of adverse work experiences on husbands' and wives' problem‐solving behaviors and marital quality through self‐esteem using structural equation modeling with a sample of 308 dual‐earning couples. Analyses controlled for earlier marital quality, allowing for assessment of the residual change in marital quality over 10 years. Adverse work experiences directly affected marital quality and indirectly affected decreases in marital quality through lower self‐esteem; lastly, individuals' self‐esteem was positively related to increased problem‐solving behaviors. In addition, there was a crossover association, with wives' and husbands' self‐esteem influencing one another's problem‐solving behaviors. These results contribute to a deeper understanding about the processes responsible for the detrimental impact of adverse work experiences.     

The neglected role of proactive behavior and outcomes in newcomer socialization

This study examined the direct, mediating, and moderating effects of proactive outcomes in the relationship between newcomer proactive behaviors and socialization outcomes. Based on a sample of 204 co-op university students who completed surveys at the end of their work term, the results indicated that newcomers who more frequently engaged in a proactive behavior (e.g., information seeking) were more likely to receive the corresponding proactive outcome (e.g., information). We also found that proactive outcomes mediate the relationship between proactive behaviors and socialization outcomes and several of the proactive behaviors were more strongly related to socialization outcomes for newcomers who obtained more proactive outcomes. These results indicate the important yet previously neglected role of proactive outcomes for understanding the relationship between newcomer proactive socialization behaviors and outcomes.     

“行高人非”还是“见贤思齐”？职场上行比较对员工行为的双刃剑效应

本研究基于压力认知评估理论,从理性认知视角探讨了职场上行比较存在的提升自我和贬损他人效应,以及驱动不同路径效应生效的边界条件和传导机制。本研究通过轮询设计,在3个时间点收集了来自60个团队240位成员的720份人际配对样本,并采用社会关系模型分析数据得出以下结论:在低水平绩效证明目标导向情况下,员工倾向于将上行比较对象评估为挑战,进而激发员工向上行比较对象的学习行为;相反,在高水平绩效证明目标导向情况下,员工倾向于将上行比较对象评估为威胁,进而驱使员工采取针对上行比较对象的社会阻抑。     

Influences of Early Career Experiences, Occupational Group, and National Culture on Proactive Career Behavior

We know little about the influences of individual, historical, and situational characteristics on young workers' proactive career behaviors. This study examined the effects of early career experiences, occupational group membership, and national culture on proactive career behaviors, including career planning, skill development, consultation, and networking. The study analyzed data from a longitudinal cross-national study on young workers from two occupational panels. The results confirmed the cultural dependence of proactive behaviors. Moreover, employment-related early career experiences showed a positive effect on proactive skill development and consultation behaviors. Periods of unemployment-inhibited proactive career planning and networking behaviors. Additional significant contributions to skill development and consultation behaviors were found to be associated with occupational group membership. Overall, a change in hierarchical position had a positive effect on proactive career behavior.