New to the watercooler: Differential effects of relationship building for female versus male newcomers

Abstract

We empirically test the social capital model of organizational socialization (SCM) and refine it by examining the influence of gender on its tenets. Research indicates that when new employees socialize with coworkers, they gain relational benefits that contribute to improved newcomer adjustment and onboarding outcomes. Although this work has deepened our understanding of the nature and consequences of newcomer socializing, it has tended to view these positive outcomes as equally accessible to all newcomers. This oversight is meaningful given that men and women do not always earn equal social credit for engaging in social behaviors such as relationship building at work (e.g., socializing with coworkers). Integrating SCM and social role theory, we hypothesize a model predicting that newcomer gender will influence whether relationship-building behaviors during socialization lead to coworker social support, with subsequent implications for newcomer adjustment (i.e., role clarity, task mastery, and social integration). We test this model in a time-lagged study of 183 new employees. Our findings generally support the predictions made by SCM and social role theory, indicating that relationship building positively relates to coworker support and subsequent newcomer adjustment for men but not for women. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.