Drawing from previous “encounter” work by several researchers, this investigation identifies the types of uncertainty new hires experience and documents newcomers' information-seeking strategy preferences and target reliance patterns for coping with different forms of uncertainty. Organizational newcomers' (n = 200) uncertainty narratives reveal that new hires experience some uncertainty types more than others. Information-seeking strategy preference patterns reported in the article closely parallel those described by Miller. These patterns, although not affected by uncertainty type, are influenced by information-seeking strategy targets. New hire information target preferences were found to be influenced by type of uncertainty. Findings make a strong case for broadening the operationalization of information-seeking targets to include both intra- and extraorganizational sources. The final portion of the article discusses study limitations and directions for future research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Argyle, M. , Furnham, A., & Graham, J. (1981). Social situations. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
2.
Argyris, C. , & Schon, D. (1978). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
3.
Ashford, S. (1986). Feedback-seeking in individual adaptation: A resource perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 465-487.
4.
Ashford, S. , & Cummings, L. (1985). Proactive feedback seeking: The instrumental use of the information environment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 58, 67-79.
5.
Bakke, E. W. (1953). The fusion process. New Haven, CT: Yale University, Labor and Management Center.
6.
Berger, C. R. , & Calabrese, R. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Toward a development theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1, 99-112.
7.
Buchanan, B. (1974). Building organizational commitment: The socialization of managers in work organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 19, 533-546.
8.
Bullis, C. (1993a, May). How should we live: A response to current organizational socialization scholarship. Response presented at the 41st International Communication Association Convention, Washington, DC.
9.
Bullis, C. (1993b). Organizational socialization research: Enabling, constraining, and shifting perspectives. Communication Monographs, 60, 10-17.
10.
Comer, D. (1991). Organizational newcomers' acquisition of information from peers. Management Communication Quarterly, 5, 64-89.
11.
Dervin, B. (1983, May). An overview of sense-making research: Concepts, methods and results to date. Paper presented at the 31st International Communication Association Convention, Dallas, TX.
12.
Dunnette, M. , Avery, R., & Banas, P. (1973). Why do they leave?Personnel, 50, 25-39.
13.
Falcione, R. , & Wilson, C. (1988). Socialization processes in organizations. In G. Goldhaber & G. Barnett (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication (pp. 151-169). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
14.
Feldman, D. (1976). A contingency theory of socialization. Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, 433-452.
15.
Feldman, D. (1977). The role of initiation activities in socialization. Human Relations, 30, 977-990.
16.
Feldman, D. (1981). The multiple socialization of organization members. Academy of Management Review, 6, 309-318.
17.
Feldman, D. , & Brett, J. (1983). Coping with new jobs: A comparative study of new hires and job changers. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 258-272.
18.
Fisher, C. (1986). Organizational socialization: An integrative review. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 4, 101-145.
19.
Graen, G. (1976). Role-making processes within complex organizations. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1201-1245). Chicago: Rand McNally.
20.
Hecht, M. (1978). Measures of communication satisfaction. Human Communication Research, 4, 351-368.
21.
Hughes, E. C. (1958). Men and their work. New York: Free Press.
22.
Jablin, F. (1982). Organizational communication: An assimilation approach. In M. Roloff & C. Berger (Eds.), Social cognition and communication (pp. 255-286). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
23.
Jablin, F. (1987). Organizational entry, assimilation and exit. In F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. Roberts, & L. Porter (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication (pp. 679-740). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
24.
Jablin, F. , & Krone, K. (1987). Organization assimilation. In C. Berger & S. Chaffee (Eds.), Handbook of communication science (pp. 711-746). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
25.
Katz, D. , & Kahn, R. (1978). The social psychology of organizations (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
26.
Kellermann, K. , & Reynolds, R. (1990). When ignorance is bliss: The role of motivation to reduce uncertainty in uncertainty reduction theory. Human Communication Research, 17, 5-75.
27.
Keppel, G. (1982). Design and analysis: A researcher's handbook (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
28.
Locke, E. (1973). Satisfiers and dissatisfiers among white-collar and blue-collar employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 58, 67-76.
29.
Louis, M. (1980). Surprise and sense making: What newcomes experience in entering unfamiliar organizational settings. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25, 226-251.
30.
Louis, M. (1985). An investigator's guide to workplace culture. In P. Frost, L. Moore, M. Louis, C. Lundberg, & J. Martin (Eds.), Organizational culture (pp. 73-93). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
31.
Louis, M. , Posner, B., & Powell, G. (1983). The availability and helpfulness of socialization practices. Personnel Psychology, 36, 857-866.
32.
Mainiero, L. (1986). Coping with powerlessness: The relationship of gender and job dependency to empowerment-strategy usage. Administrative Science Quarterly, 31, 633-653.
33.
Miller, V. (1989, May). A quasi-experimental study of newcomers' information-seeking behaviors during organizational entry. Paper presented at the 37th International Communication Association Convention, San Francisco.
34.
Miller, V. , & Jablin, F. (1991). Information-seeking during organizational entry: Influences, tactics, and a model of the process. Academy of Management Review, 16, 92-120.
35.
Morrison, E. (1991). An investigation of mode and source usage in the newcomer information seeking process. In J. Wall & L. Jauch (Eds.), Best papers proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (pp. 225-229). Miami Beach, FL: Academy of Management Publications.
36.
Morrison, E. (1993a). Longitudinal study of the effects of information seeking on newcomer socialization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 173-183.
37.
Morrison, E. (1993b). Newcomer information-seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources, and outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 557-589.
38.
Norton, R. (1975). Measurement of ambiguity tolerance. Journal of Personality Assessment, 39, 607-619.
39.
Petelle, J. , Jorgensen, J., & Slaughter, G. (1991, May). Uncertainty within the organization: Hierarchical differences of uncertainty and reduction strategies. Paper presented at the 39th International Communication Association Convention, Chicago.
40.
Porter, L. , Lawler, E., & Hackman, J. (1975). Behavior in organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill.
41.
Putnam, L. , & Sorenson, R. (1982). Equivocal messages in organizations. Human Communication Research, 8, 114-132.
42.
Rossi, A. , & Lubbers, C. (1988). Analysis of occupational stressors by gender and type of sample. Wellness Perspectives, 3, 9-15.
43.
Schein, E. (1968). Organizational socialization and the profession of management. Industrial Management Review, 9, 1-16.
44.
Schilit, W. , & Locke, E. (1982). A study of upward influence in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 27, 304-316.
45.
Scott, W. (1955). Reliability of content analysis: The case of nominal scale coding. Public Opinion Quarterly, 19, 321-325.
46.
Spiker, B. , & Daniels, T. (1981). Information adequacy and communication relationships: An empirical investigation of 18 organizations. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 45, 342-354.
47.
Stone, N. (1991). Does business have any business in education?Harvard Business Review, 69, 46-62.
48.
Van Maanen, J. (1976). Breaking in: Socialization to work. In R. Dubin (Ed.), Handbook of work, organization and society (pp. 67-130). Chicago: Rand McNally.
49.
Van Maanen, J. (1978). People processing: Strategies of organizational socializing. Organizational Dynamics, 7, 18-36.
50.
Van Maanen, J. , & Schein, E. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. In B. Staw & L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 1, pp. 209-264). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
51.
Wanous, J. (1977). Organizational entry: Newcomers moving from outside to inside. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 601-618.
52.
Wanous, J. (1980). Organizational entry: Recruitment, selection, and socialization of newcomers. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
53.
Wanous, J. , & Colella, A. (1989). Organizational entry research: Current status and future directions. In K. Rowland & G. Ferris (Eds.), Research in personnel and human resources management (Vol. 7, pp. 59-120). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
54.
Weick, K. E. (1979). The social psychology of organizing (2nd ed.). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
55.
Zook, E. , & Miller, K. (1991, May). Multidimensional versus unidimensional conceptions and measures of perceived social support. Paper presented at the 39th International Communication Association Convention, Chicago.
