Newcomer Socialization and Organizational Commitment: Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Role Clarity and Acceptance by Managers

The purpose of this study was to examine the underlying mechanism through which organizations’ efforts for newcomers’ socialization (i.e., institutionalized socialization) and the newcomers’ efforts for their own socialization (i.e., proactive behavior) help them to become socialized in the organization. For this purpose, we differentiated between proximal outcomes (role clarity, acceptance by managers) and distal outcomes of socialization (organizational commitment) and proposed that both role clarity and acceptance by managers mediate the relationship between institutionalized socialization and proactive behavior and organizational commitment. To test this hypothesized mediation model, we collected survey data at three different time points over a two-month period, and 177 newcomers in two manufacturing firms in China have completed the three rounds of surveys. The analysis shows that those who experienced institutionalized socialization to a greater extent at Time 1 were more committed to the organization at Time 3 (two months after Time 1); and that the relationship was partially mediated by role clarity at Time 2 (one month after Time 1). The analysis also shows that those who were proactive for their own socialization at Time 1 were more committed to the organization at Time 3; and the relationship was also partially mediated by role clarity at Time 2. Contrary to expectations, the mediating effect via acceptance by managers was not observed. Based on the results, theoretical and practical implications were subsequently provided.