While earlier research highlights the importance of newcomers’ information seeking in their adjustment at work, these investigations are limited by a narrow conceptualization of information seeking behaviors. Using an experimental design, this study tests a broader conceptualization of information seeking tactics and examines factors affecting tactic use. Results indicate newcomers use five distinct information seeking tactics (overt, observe, third party, indirect, and testing) and that tactic use varies with the type of information sought, its source, the social costs associated with seeking the information, and newcomers’ departmental assignment. Implications for newcomers and their managers and for future research are discussed.
Communication Studies
Volume 47, 1996 - Issue 1-2
![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
Reprints and Corporate Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:
Academic Permissions
Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?
Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:
If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.
Related Research Data
A Contingency Approach to Communication Skill Importance: The Impact of Occupation, Direction, and Position.
Source:
SAGE Publications
Is Sybil there? the structure of some American English directives
Source:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Organizational Newcomers' Acquisition of Information from Peers
Source:
SAGE Publications
Communication and Uncertainty Management.
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Impression Management in the Feedback-Seeking Process: A Literature Review and Research Agenda
Source:
Academy of Management
The preservation of self in everyday life: The effects of performance expectations and feedback context on feedback inquiry
Source:
Elsevier BV
Animals spend much of their time seeking stimuli whose significance raises problems for psychology.
Source:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Newcomer information seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources, and outcomes.
Source:
Academy of Management
The Multiple Socialization Of Organization Members
Source:
Academy of Management
Employee Uncertainty and Information-Seeking in Newly Formed Expansion Organizations
Source:
SAGE Publications
Observations on the Making of Policemen
Source:
Society for Applied Anthropology
SELF-REGULATION FOR MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS: THE ROLE OF ACTIVE FEEDBACK SEEKING
Source:
Academy of Management
Superior–subordinate communication: The state of the art.
Source:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Socialization Tactics, Self-Efficacy, and Newcomers' Adjustments to Organizations
Source:
Academy of Management
Communication skills training for engineering students in British Universities
Source:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Predicted Outcome Value During Initial Interactions A Reformulation of Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Costs and Benefits of Newcomer Adjustment Tactics
Source:
Wiley
Information search as a function of stimulus uncertainty and the importance of the response.
Source:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Assessment of a Compliance-Gaining Approach
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
SOCIALIZATION IN ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS
Source:
John Wiley & Sons Ltd
The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations
Source:
Psychology Press
Determinants of new hire information‐seeking during organizational encounter
Source:
Informa UK Limited
Sources of feedback: A preliminary investigation
Source:
Elsevier BV
The Individual, the Organization, and the Career: A Conceptual Scheme
Source:
SAGE Publications
Face and Facework in Negotiation
Source:
SAGE Publications, Inc.
Directive use in negotiation interaction
Source:
Informa UK Limited
CHARACTERISTICS OF APPLICANTS’QUESTIONS AND EMPLOYMENT SCREENING INTERVIEW OUTCOMES
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Longitudinal study of the effects of information seeking on newcomer socialization
Source:
American Psychological Association (APA)
INFORMATION SEEKING DURING ORGANIZATIONAL ENTRY: INFLUENCES, TACTICS, AND A MODEL OF THE PROCESS
Source:
Academy of Management
Unfair comparisons.
Source:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Climate Formation: Issues and Extensions
Source:
Academy of Management
What influences college students’ career information seeking on the internet? A test of the comprehensive model of information seeking
Source:
Informa UK Limited
Workplace Relationship Quality and Employee Information Experiences
Source:
Informa UK Limited
TOWARD A THEORY OF OPEN AND CLOSED GROUPS.
Source:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Item Desirability Effects in Compliance‐Gaining Research Seven Studies Documenting Artifacts in the Strategy Selection Procedure
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Feedback-Seeking Behavior of New Hires and Job Changers
Source:
SAGE Publications
Surprise and sense making: what newcomers experience in entering unfamiliar organizational settings.
Source:
JSTOR
Toward an Integrative Theoretical Perspective on Organizational Membership Negotiations: Socialization, Assimilation, and the Duality of Structure
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Investigating organizational socialization: a fresh look at newcomer adjustment strategies
Source:
Emerald
A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings
Source:
Elsevier BV
The Impact of Emergent Network Structure on Organizational Socialization
Source:
SAGE Publications
Facing and Coping with Uncertainty During Organizational Encounter
Source:
SAGE Publications
Predicted Outcome Value and Uncertainty Reduction Theories A Test of Competing Perspectives
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
The Study of Organizations through a Resource—Exchange Paradigm
Source:
Springer US
Feedback-Seeking in Individual Adaptation: A Resource Perspective
Source:
Academy of Management
When Ignorance Is Bliss The Role of Motivation to Reduce Uncertainty in Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Anticipation of Future Interaction and Information Exchange in Initial Interaction
Source:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
The learning of socialization content: A framework for researching orientating practices
Source:
Emerald (MCB UP )
Subordinate imitation of supervisor behavior: The role of modeling in organizational socialization
Source:
Elsevier BV
A Contingency Theory of Socialization
Source:
JSTOR
The Scientific Use of Factor Analysis in Behavioral and Life Sciences
Source:
Springer US
The Strategy Selection-Construction Controversy: A Coding Scheme for Analyzing Teacher Compliance-Gaining Message Constructions.
Source:
Informa UK Limited
Linking provided by
